Bianca POV

Monica and I follow the two devilishly handsome elves through the forest. I have always enjoyed nighttime strolls. The moon shines and I feel its delicate rays warm my skin. The wind howls softly, swaying the leaves on the trees. Monica is discreetly checking out the elves in front of us; I wonder why she hides it. I find myself staring at them unabashedly. The elf to the left walks with an air of superiority that I find agitating yet attractive at the same time. His golden blonde hair falls down to his waist. Long hair can be a turn off on a guy, but he really rocks the look. Plus, he has a rear-end that would make any guy jealous and any girl fawn.

The other elf is slightly shorter and has finer features. His shining hair is platinum blonde and is nothing less than enchanting under the moon's light. His hair is marginally longer than the other's which serves to showcase his leaner form. His eyes are a bewitching seagrass-green. The taller one's eyes are a cool steel-charcoal grey. They are both excellent specimens of the male species, granted though not human, still gratifying. (Perhaps because they aren't humans I find them so appealing. I have been known to have crushes on non-humans with pointy ears.) I wonder if my usual "can I buy you a drink line" will work on either of them.

"Don't even think about it." Monica glances at me with an amused tone in her voice. She knows me too well.

I roll my eyes and don't answer her, feeling somewhat defeated on my goal to allure the two elves. Maybe she wants to flirt with them herself. Who can really blame her? Mister air-of-superiority looks over at us questioningly. Wonder what he's thinking. What if he can read minds! Would he be listening to this? My mind is literally doing somersaults as I try to find the answer to my question.

He speaks to us, "If you have any questions, do ask my brother or I." His hands motion to the light blonde, the one I believe Galadriel called Orophin, and back to himself. Haldir, or at least that is the name I am assuming is his, continues forward without another word. I find myself wondering what type of drama is occurring between Orophin, Jess, Cass, and Haldir. He is a lot more hospitable without them around, though he keeps his interactions with his brother curt.

Monica, who had stopped staring at the guys when Haldir turned to face us, once again continues to check them out. She notices my gaze and only offers a sheepish grin. I offer a smile back. We may be distant relatives but I find her no less family than Jess. My surrogate sister in other terms. With her head she motions at both of the guys. She is asking me what I would rate them. I flash all ten fingers. Her eyes gleam as she nods in agreement. We both continue to stare appreciatively at the two men.

As we walk along beaten paths I notice how fresh the air is here. It smells like fresh mountain air after rainfall. It is so refreshing. I feel energized. I refrain from skipping, my fibromyalgia might decide to act up. Darn chronic illnesses! We ascend a staircase that leads up a massive, undoubtedly strong old tree. The trees here seem to be as tall as red woods. They are truly majestic. The stairs at first seem doable, but my hip feels a little off and soon a searing pain develops. I continue to walk at a slower rate. Monica offers her help by offering her arm for support. At times like these you remember to appreciate loved ones.

"Are you distressed, my lady?" Orophin's voice is a soft and gentle caress to my ears. Haldir has also reappeared next to us. They both express concern.

I shake my head, "My hip just hurts." My cheeks flame unintentionally. Why do they have to be so beautiful?

"Would you like some assistance?" Haldir looks at me under his intense gaze.

I consider refusing but the pain has grown to something close to unbearable. "If it isn't a bother." He shakes his head as he nears me. "Wha-What are you-" before I can finish my sentence I have been lifted, in what I cannot deny to be, incredibly strong arms. Though he manages to keep an appropriate distance between us as he carries me up I can still inhale the scent of pine that emanates from him. It's intoxicating.

Monica walks close behind with Orophin switching from walking next to her to behind her. When we finally reach the house-like structure in the tree, I find it regrettable that I must be put down.

Haldir reminds us of the feast tomorrow. "You are welcome to the feast that shall be held in honor of the fellowship. Aid will arrive mid-afternoon to help you prepare for it."

"This will be your quarters for the remainder of your stay in the Lothlorien. May your stay be a pleasant one." Orophin offers us a smile that could melt any heart.

Haldir and Orophin bow and leave us standing in front of the house. It seems homey enough from the outside. Monica looks from me to the house then finally makes the first move to open the front door.

Cassie POV

Light is shining bright against my eyelids, I hate it. I consider myself allergic to the sun because I often have the urge to sneeze every time a strong beam of light attacks me. Next to me, still snoring, is Jess. Her mouth is slightly ajar and a trickle of drool is evident on the side of her cheek. Same old Jess. I close her mouth and pinch her nose. She kicks out a leg. I continue to watch as her face scrunches up. Finally she bolts into a sitting position looking around dazed, taking a deep breath of air. I chuckle at her reaction, her face is too hilarious to look at. It looks like Mulan when Mushu wakes her up to feed her porridge and eggs. It's priceless. She gives me an exasperated look, "Really, Cass?" There is a slight hint of annoyance in her voice.

I shrug,"It's the only way to get you up without too much of a hassle."

"Talk about friend abuse." She says joking. She is unable to deny my statement. I swear she can pass as a rock when she is asleep.

Surprisingly the rest of the fellowship still isn't awake. Gimli's snores are still cacophonous. I wonder how we were able to fall asleep with that ruckus constantly sounding every five seconds. Jess and I stretch out. Her joints cracks undoubtedly less than mine but I still make fun of her anyway. As we finish our stretching a member of the fellowship is waking up. It is Boromir. He looks around and finally his eyes land on us. "Good morning." He smiles, more to Jess than to me. We both return his good morning with smiles. "I must say this is the earliest that either of you have awoken."

We both laugh at his statement, there is no way to deny it. This has to be the earliest that either of us has woken up. "Must be the excitement." Jess says shrugging.

"Ah, yes for the feast. T'is will be a most excellent evening. Would you be so kind as to save me a dance?" His question is directed to Jess who looks a little surprised.

"A dance? Are you sure there will be dancing?" I hear the nervousness in her voice. Neither of us are exactly class A dancers.

"I would bet on it. What kind of a feast would it be without dancing and an appropriate amount of drinks?" He sounds incredulous at the prospect of no dancing and no ridiculous amounts of alcohol. Pretty much sums up the men from this age (and many from where we come from).

Unable to get out of the question and being too nice to say no, Jess accepts. As her friend I am mentally smacking myself for not finding a way for her to deny this request. Our conversation comes to a close and we stay silent waiting for the rest of the fellowship to awaken. For a good thirty minutes no one wakes up but that is broken when Aragorn shifts into a sitting position, he flashes a surprised expression at Jess and I. He makes no reference to our early wakening but does wish us a good morning. I guess if two people are that surprised then Jess and I really do stay in late.

After him the rest of the fellowship soon wakens. Legolas, who I would've thought to be the first one awake, lifts himself out of bed. His appearance has not been ruined at all by sleep. I am so jealous. Elves are too perfect. Frodo and Sam are next, they are inseparable, those two. I hear Sam offer to make Frodo something to eat, but Frodo refuses because the Elves should be bringing breakfast soon.

Gimli's snore comes to an abrupt end when he sits up looking dazed. When his eyes reach Legolas he isn't too happy. "An elf beat me in awakening! Never, we shall see who awakens first next time, elf." He finishes off by shaking a finger at Legolas.

Legolas only offers Gimli a bemused grin as he walks over to Aragorn. Merry and Pippin who were moments ago sleeping so cutely awaken because of Gimli's loud voice. Pippin rubs his eyes and looks around as if lost. My heart squeezes, it is the most adorable thing in the world. I just want to hug him. Pull yourself together Cass, I think to myself. As adorable and sweet as he is, hugging him might not be the smartest choice.

Magically appearing on time, the Elves enter the camp with food for us. After they drop off our food they leave without a word, as always. Today's breakfast is a vegetable soup with fruits on the side. I don't believe I have ever eaten as healthy as I have here in Lothlórien. I know for sure that Jess hasn't. She has always been a fastfood type of girl. But she doesn't complain about the healthiness of soups, probably because they taste so good. Healthy, yes, but it is so delicious! The hint of sage and rosemary make this soup mouthwatering. There are absolutely no complaints from anyone, not even Gimli who is in love with meat and not too fond of the greens.

We finish the food and clean up. I pat my stomach appreciatively because of the warm soup that now calls it home. Jess sits with a hand on her belly, she was on par with the hobbits on eating. I swear if it wasn't for all the exercise we do, she would be rolling around everywhere instead of walking. I think she would like that though. It is only thirty minutes after our meal and I see Aragorn and Legolas walking towards us with swords on their person. I withhold a groan. Time to practice, we leave the forest tomorrow.

Both of us take our swords and our positions in front of our respective instructor but they only shake their heads. Did we do something wrong? I try fixing my stance but again Legolas shakes his head. "You will not be fighting against us." Aragorn finally says to us. I look at him in disbelief. If we aren't sparing with them, then who are we going against? Jess is just as perplexed as I am. "You will be sparing with each other. A test to rank each of your abilities with the sword." I nearly faint at Aragorn's words. He wants me to fight Jess! With a real sword! One that could possibly kill her. Or me! Sure, Orcs, I don't mind going against them because all I need to think about is bringing them down. It is impossible to do when your partner is your best friend in the whole world. Really, it is.

I hold back the hysterical laughter that tries to escape me. They really can't be serious. Can they?

Sure enough, they are. They look at us expectantly. My heart races. I am unsure if I can do this. I see confliction in Jess's eyes. She looks to Legolas for help but he seems as hell-bent as Aragorn for the two of us to go at each other. I let out an exasperated sigh. "Begin." Aragorn's voice is clear with conviction. Jess doesn't move, neither do I. "You must battle, it is not to your deaths so do not fret. Begin." With his words I set forward and attack.

I swing my sword to the right, Jess's weak spot. She barely manages to block it. Her eyes are wide with shock. I try to tell her with my eyes that the faster one of us wins the faster we will finish this absurd fight. Her eyes flash with understanding. She attacks me quickly with force. She's been known to manhandle a few things every once in a while and it shows with the strength of her blows. I counter her attacks with precision. We want to produce an authentic fight so they won't force us to do this again. Jess suddenly moves with swift grace, something she hasn't been known for, and after a quick successions of swipes I find myself without a sword and her own pointing at my heart. I smile at her. Clapping is heard, turning around we face the guys who have these extremely stoked expressions on their faces.

We have visitors, the elves who bring us our lunch stand with surprised expressions. Among them is Haldir and Orophin. I guess they can't believe that Jess and I are that good. I laugh at my own thought. We hand over the swords and the elves proceed to bring us our lunch. Haldir and Orophin walk over. "Good day." Haldir greets us rather formally. "I have come to inform you that you will be dining separately for the midday meal. We have been instructed to make sure you are prepared for tonight's feast."

I find myself a little scared at the thought that they may try and put me into a dress but then again if Galadriel is the one who instructed them I do not want to seem rude. We follow them out of camp and into the mystical woods. It is unbearably quiet and I feel the need to speak. "So what do these feasts usually have, besides food?" I ask.

Haldir looks to me with a raised brow, "There is music, dancing, and on rare occasions singing." His eyes hold mine and I can't help but feel as though he is trying to communicate something.

"Dancing? How does that work?" Knowing Jess she asks this question simply to know if she should hide instead of actually going to the the party-feast.

"One moves their feet to the music and is sometimes accompanied by a partner." Orophin answers with a smile at his own joke.

Jess rolls her eyes at Orophin, "I mean to ask, will there be any real skill required to dance?"

"No, nor are you required to if you do not wish to do so." Haldir replies a smile tugging at his lips from the comment his brother made.

Jessie nods in relief. We walk through the forest, the mood raised with our friendly banter. We are brought to a structure, not too high from the ground to my relief. When we enter we are greeted with the site of beautiful dresses and a tall elleth with flowing golden locks gliding to and fro. Haldir coughs to get her attention. She turns her head like a deer caught in headlights but she recognizes Haldir. Her eyes then travel to Jess and I and she smiles. "It is a pleasure as always to have visitors, Haldir. Won't you introduce me to the mortal women?"

"Likewise, Theodra." He gives a small bow. His hand motions in my direction and then too Jess's. "These two women are Lady Cassie and Lady Jessie."

"You can leave out the 'lady' it makes us uncomfortable." Jess remarks.

The elf-lady smiles, "Yes, please do the same for me. I am Theodra, seamstress of this forest." Her attention then moves to Haldir again. "What brings you here?"

"The lady Galadriel has asked that you find suitable garments for them to wear at tonight's feast." He answers quickly. "If you will excuse my brother and I, we must finish the preparations. We leave them in your care for we know they will be safe." Theodra nods at the two elves and they leave quickly.

She welcomes us into her 'dominion' as she calls her work place. When we tell her that we have not eaten she rants about the manners of the two boys, Haldir and Orophin. She quickly brings us some food, peaches and salad. While we eat she works on taking our measurements and finding a color that works with our complexion. This takes longer than I thought it would. After that she doesn't show us the dresses she has decided fits us, instead she brings us to a bath. There are fresh aromas wafting sweetly to us. It smells like cinnamon and lavender. We quickly undress and enter the large white bath tub. Jess and I take turns scrubbing each others back. We allow the aromas to sink into our skin. After the bath we put on a lotion like thing that smells wonderful and moisturizes our skin to baby-bottom perfection.

Oils are also added to our hair to soften the texture and restore the damage that our journey has caused. Finally, most of preparation process is complete, we need to put on the dresses and have our hair styled. Jess and I are given our dresses and are assisted with putting them on. Our hair is worked on. The long part of my hair is braided to the side. While Jess is being handled, I look into the mirror. I am wearing a golden dress that frames my small curves and makes my boobs look larger that their actual smallish B cup. I find myself admiring my silhouette in a dress, something that has never happened before. I notice one other thing that I am grateful for, the dress is not tight at all. "You look good, Cass!" Jess exclaims as she walks over to me.

Her dress is a deep wine red that complements her cinnamon brown skin color. The dress also hugs her curves, which makes them even more noticeable than usual. Her hair has two twin braids that meet at the back to form one piece while the rest of her hair pools around her waist. I smile at the thought of Legolas, Boromir, or Orophin actually drooling when they see her. Theodra opens the door when there's a knock. Haldir is on the other side, when his eyes land on me I suddenly feel self-conscience. He seems surprised at my appearance.

Coming too, he says, "I have arrived to escort you all to the feast."

"I will arrive at a later time," Theodra turns to us with a kind smile, "I will see you soon."

We leave with Haldir, I feel his gaze dart to me every few seconds. "Where is Orophin?" Jess asks. I also would like to know.

"He is accompanying your friends to the feast." Haldir says calmly.

Monica POV

I can't really describe how weird it is to find myself in a forest with elves. These aren't people dressed in costumes, but legitimate elves; immortal unless killed. This is mind blowing. I study the area we walk through trying to memorize the dirt paths we take just in case we get lost. Which is doubtful seeing as we have an elf guiding us who is from these woods, though one can never be too careful. Our guide, Orophin, walks in front of us wearing what I imagine to be semi-formal clothes. His clothes consist of a dark green shirt and a bluish tinged leggings that flatters the elf booty that Bianca and I shamelessly admire while he is unaware, at least I hope he is. It would be awkward if he knew.

I look to Bianca who seems to be in deep thought. She is adorned in a creamy lilac dress that hugs her in a flattering manner. Her hair is loose and free to sway. I on the other hand wear a maroon dress that floats on me, it does not restrict me in anyway and I find myself actually okay with wearing a dress. My hair is soft and glossy with the natural hair products they put in my hair. It is styled in a french braid.

The evening light fades and we are welcomed with the night sky that shines with more stars than I have seen in my life. I have the great urge to stop and stare at the stars. Stop and stare, I chuckle to myself, I like that song. Not too far away I hear the commotion of voices and laughing. Orophin looks back at us, "We are near." We nod at him. He has a soft smooth voice that contrasts Haldir's sexy deep one. We enter a large clearing, I notice that the group that had been with Jess and Cass are here clean and refreshed. They sit at a long table with a whole lot of elves and they stare at us like we are the most interesting sight to have come upon them in the last few minutes. I suddenly feel very self conscience with all the attention that is being concentrated on us.

We are escorted to our seats near the hobbits who, thankfully, seem very happy to see us. Orophin pulls out our seats, a very gentlemanly gesture. I thank him. "We await my brother as well as Jessie and Cassie." With the information given he moves away and moves to sit closer to a beautiful elf lady with long flowing blonde hair who emits such grace and power that I can only assume she is in some way in charge of this dominion. Next to her is a handsome elf with sandy blonde hair that is long like all the other elves I have seen, male and female who has his hand slightly holding hers, he must be her husband, or lover. Her starry eyes capture mine in and she offers me a smile. Freaking out a little I give her a nervous smile and wave a hand in greeting. Her eyes cloud in confusion but she still keeps her features warm towards me. Feeling a little uncomfortable I look away.

Jess and Cass walk into the circle each looking like they went to the spa. Their hair and makeup is lightly done and looks natural. Their dresses fit them and accentuate what their mamas' gave them. They take their seats across from us and Haldir also helps them with their seats. After, he joins his brother near the elegant woman I believe is named Galadriel. Galadriel rises from her chairs and all noise is quieted. She is about to speak.