Disclaimer: I don't own any recognizable characters or places from the Lord
of the Rings.
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Cold Heart Chapter 21
Anna trudged wearily down the dim hallways to the kitchen. When it was safe to travel, she would go North, maybe dwell with the Rangers or visit the hobbits, She had always wanted to meet them after she had seen one of them visiting Eomer from time to time. They seemed like very cheerful beings and would be very interesting.
As she rounded the corner that would lead to the kitchens, a small heavy object ran right into her. She leaned against the wall and stopped the heavy object before it fell to the ground. It straightened up and turned out to be a small boy.
"I'm sorry miss," the boy said not looking up at her but instead at his shoes. Anna smiled and instantly wrapped her arms around the young boy's shoulders.
"Kaden, how have you been?" she asked. He looked up into her face and smiled widely.
"Ardanil, you're back! I thought you have left for good!"
"No," she replied, letting go of him and ruffling his hair. "I'm back, at least for a short time, but then I must leave again."
"I wish that you didn't have to," he said and frowned.
Anna smiled softly and said, "Come on." She then led the way to the kitchen.
When she entered, everyone stopped work and looked at her for a moment before returning to the tasks. A woman came forward and held her hands on her hips.
"Well, what around you doing just standing there, go help Franvanil bake today's bread!" Anna nodded and made her way through the maze of people to the back of the large kitchen where Franvanil was mixing the bread dough.
After what seemed like days, but in reality was only a few hours, the servants were called to serve the meal. Anna stayed in the back of the kitchen and hoped that no one saw her. Unfortunately, she wasn't so lucky. The head of staff, Larulene, walked up to her and glared. "What are you doing?"
She stood confused for a moment before replying. "I am staying here in the kitchen while you serve."
"And what gave you that idea?" the woman asked icily.
"I was given permission by - "
"I am the only one who can give you permission," the woman sneered. "We have many extra guests now and need all the servers we can get." The woman shoved a plate into Anna's hands and pushed her toward the door.
"You don't understand. I can't go up there," Anna replied, pausing in the doorway.
"You can, and you will. Now GO!"
Anna turned slowly and walked down the corridor to the main eating hall. She seemed very calm on the outside, but on the inside her stomach was in knots. Would they see her? And if they did, would they recognize her at all? Maybe if she served quickly and retreated into the shadows, she could hide herself and not risk upsetting Larulene. The guards weren't always the nicest people, and if anyone neglected their duties it wasn't uncommon for them to be beaten.
Soon the large door to the dining hall came into view and Anna slowed down before she went into the room. She stood there for a moment and took a deep breath, made sure the scarf on her head covered her ears and went into the room.
A large fire roared in the enormous fireplace across the room. The room was bare except for the fireplace and a long wooden table situated in the middle of the room. She lowered her head and followed the other servants to the back of the room where they could come quickly if called.
From the back of the room, Anna had a perfect view of the occupants of the table. Farther from the fire were the soldiers of the elven kingdoms. The closest person to the fire was Eomer, and then the seats surrounding him were filled with the rulers of the kingdoms. Her breath caught in her throat as she laid eyes on Elrohir.
He looked the same, but he gave off a more powerful vibe than he did years ago, although that was hardly unexpected since he had taken a considerable amount of weight on his shoulders after his father had left. Suddenly she felt someone starting at her and she looked around the table before locking eyes with Haldir. He was sitting in the middle of the table between Celeborn and the soldiers.
His lips curved into a soft smile and he nodded his head slightly to her. So had he forgiven her since he stormed out the last time he had seen her?
Eomer must have noticed Haldir's gaze, because he also turned to look at her and nodded his head as well. Even though she was a servant she was also Elrohir's wife and he still gave her much of the proper respect her status deserved.
Anna bowed her head and looked at the floor, wishing they would stop looking at her as not to draw the attention of the others. When she looked back up, both were joining in on a discussion with Celeborn, but she knew Haldir was still watching her out of the corner of his eye.
Eomer held his hand up and motioned for the servants to come forward with the food. She rushed toward the table quickly, hoping to serve the soldiers and not the head of the table. Cursing inwardly, she noticed the rest of the servants had distributed themselves evenly throughout the table, except for the head. They were all scared to be near the elves. Most of the servants had never seen an elf before, but only heard stories about them, the most widespread was the one of the elves coming to Helm's Deep in Rohan's more dire need.
So that left Anna as the one to serve the head of the table. Her legs felt like lead as she slowly walked toward the other end of the hall. As she neared the table, she let out a quick sigh of relief that nobody noticed her arrival.
Her pace quickened and she stopped by Eomer. She laid down the platter in her hands and turned to go. Before she could leave, however, a hand grabbed her wrist. "Wait," the voice said. Anna closed her eyes, not wanting to turn and look into the face of the person holding her wrist.
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A/N: Well, what did you think? I want to apologize for not getting this out on Wednesday as promised. It's just that I've have a major lack of inspiration lately, but fear not, I will not give this story up. Especially since it's so close to the end! There are around 3 or 4 more chapters after this and then it will be finished. I have the next chapter written, but I won't give you a date to when I shall post it, since I haven't been very good at keeping with those ;)
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Cold Heart Chapter 21
Anna trudged wearily down the dim hallways to the kitchen. When it was safe to travel, she would go North, maybe dwell with the Rangers or visit the hobbits, She had always wanted to meet them after she had seen one of them visiting Eomer from time to time. They seemed like very cheerful beings and would be very interesting.
As she rounded the corner that would lead to the kitchens, a small heavy object ran right into her. She leaned against the wall and stopped the heavy object before it fell to the ground. It straightened up and turned out to be a small boy.
"I'm sorry miss," the boy said not looking up at her but instead at his shoes. Anna smiled and instantly wrapped her arms around the young boy's shoulders.
"Kaden, how have you been?" she asked. He looked up into her face and smiled widely.
"Ardanil, you're back! I thought you have left for good!"
"No," she replied, letting go of him and ruffling his hair. "I'm back, at least for a short time, but then I must leave again."
"I wish that you didn't have to," he said and frowned.
Anna smiled softly and said, "Come on." She then led the way to the kitchen.
When she entered, everyone stopped work and looked at her for a moment before returning to the tasks. A woman came forward and held her hands on her hips.
"Well, what around you doing just standing there, go help Franvanil bake today's bread!" Anna nodded and made her way through the maze of people to the back of the large kitchen where Franvanil was mixing the bread dough.
After what seemed like days, but in reality was only a few hours, the servants were called to serve the meal. Anna stayed in the back of the kitchen and hoped that no one saw her. Unfortunately, she wasn't so lucky. The head of staff, Larulene, walked up to her and glared. "What are you doing?"
She stood confused for a moment before replying. "I am staying here in the kitchen while you serve."
"And what gave you that idea?" the woman asked icily.
"I was given permission by - "
"I am the only one who can give you permission," the woman sneered. "We have many extra guests now and need all the servers we can get." The woman shoved a plate into Anna's hands and pushed her toward the door.
"You don't understand. I can't go up there," Anna replied, pausing in the doorway.
"You can, and you will. Now GO!"
Anna turned slowly and walked down the corridor to the main eating hall. She seemed very calm on the outside, but on the inside her stomach was in knots. Would they see her? And if they did, would they recognize her at all? Maybe if she served quickly and retreated into the shadows, she could hide herself and not risk upsetting Larulene. The guards weren't always the nicest people, and if anyone neglected their duties it wasn't uncommon for them to be beaten.
Soon the large door to the dining hall came into view and Anna slowed down before she went into the room. She stood there for a moment and took a deep breath, made sure the scarf on her head covered her ears and went into the room.
A large fire roared in the enormous fireplace across the room. The room was bare except for the fireplace and a long wooden table situated in the middle of the room. She lowered her head and followed the other servants to the back of the room where they could come quickly if called.
From the back of the room, Anna had a perfect view of the occupants of the table. Farther from the fire were the soldiers of the elven kingdoms. The closest person to the fire was Eomer, and then the seats surrounding him were filled with the rulers of the kingdoms. Her breath caught in her throat as she laid eyes on Elrohir.
He looked the same, but he gave off a more powerful vibe than he did years ago, although that was hardly unexpected since he had taken a considerable amount of weight on his shoulders after his father had left. Suddenly she felt someone starting at her and she looked around the table before locking eyes with Haldir. He was sitting in the middle of the table between Celeborn and the soldiers.
His lips curved into a soft smile and he nodded his head slightly to her. So had he forgiven her since he stormed out the last time he had seen her?
Eomer must have noticed Haldir's gaze, because he also turned to look at her and nodded his head as well. Even though she was a servant she was also Elrohir's wife and he still gave her much of the proper respect her status deserved.
Anna bowed her head and looked at the floor, wishing they would stop looking at her as not to draw the attention of the others. When she looked back up, both were joining in on a discussion with Celeborn, but she knew Haldir was still watching her out of the corner of his eye.
Eomer held his hand up and motioned for the servants to come forward with the food. She rushed toward the table quickly, hoping to serve the soldiers and not the head of the table. Cursing inwardly, she noticed the rest of the servants had distributed themselves evenly throughout the table, except for the head. They were all scared to be near the elves. Most of the servants had never seen an elf before, but only heard stories about them, the most widespread was the one of the elves coming to Helm's Deep in Rohan's more dire need.
So that left Anna as the one to serve the head of the table. Her legs felt like lead as she slowly walked toward the other end of the hall. As she neared the table, she let out a quick sigh of relief that nobody noticed her arrival.
Her pace quickened and she stopped by Eomer. She laid down the platter in her hands and turned to go. Before she could leave, however, a hand grabbed her wrist. "Wait," the voice said. Anna closed her eyes, not wanting to turn and look into the face of the person holding her wrist.
* * * * *
A/N: Well, what did you think? I want to apologize for not getting this out on Wednesday as promised. It's just that I've have a major lack of inspiration lately, but fear not, I will not give this story up. Especially since it's so close to the end! There are around 3 or 4 more chapters after this and then it will be finished. I have the next chapter written, but I won't give you a date to when I shall post it, since I haven't been very good at keeping with those ;)