Chapter 26

Rhiannan stared up at Edoras while it slowly became closer, "How come Danielle was allowed to travel with the men and we had to stay here?" Éowyn asked, mostly to herself.

Rhiannan glanced over at the young woman, "Why must you ask so many questions?"

"Why does your best friend keep so many secrets from you?" Éowyn asked looking over at her.

"What? Danielle doesn't keep secrets from me… she wouldn't…" (Awe, yes people, the irony of it all.) Rhiannan looked up ahead at Haldir.

Éowyn raised an eye brow, "Yes, of course she wouldn't. Besides, she's too good at it for you to recognize, that is if she was, but of course she wouldn't," Éowyn let out a sigh then turned and went to help an elderly woman with her load.

Rhiannan looked down at her hands, taking in Éowyn's assumption, Danielle wouldn't do that…

Yeah she would, you've been a prat lately to her.

When did you start talking like that? Using the word prat…pphhtt…

Prat

What? No! She's my best friend, I only want her happiness.

What about your urge to go home?

I still have it! Why wouldn't I want to go home!

Haldir, remember?

Right…

Prat!

SHUT UP! I have not been a prat, Danielle and I have had only one argument!

Yeah, and you said, "Danielle, don't you dare fall for Boromir, cause that would make you a Mary-Sue, and we are going to go home!" even though this is where she belongs you know.

What? No… Danielle doesn't belong her, I don't belong here, we're just coping tell we find someone who will take us home.

Yeah, sure.

I'm being serious.

So, question, why is it that Danielle can't fall for Boromir, as great as a guy as he is and we know he wouldn't intentionally hurt her, he's too much of a gentleman, but you can stand and kiss Haldir out in the open? I don't see the fairness in this.

Well…I… no… I know we're going home so when we leave I won't be… Rhiannan looked over Haldir who had looked back at her and left a smile. Shit…

Exactly my point, now go eat some you prat.

I didn't even think… My whole anti-Mary-Sue rampage and unknowingly I'm off gallivanting and falling in love with the elf of my dreams… by the valar…

Careful, evil elvish thoughts!

AAAAAH!

Anyway, you're worse then she is. Danielle has been fighting herself to not fall for him for the past, who knows how many months and here you are, flaunting it. And you fell for him in less then a month.

Shut up

Prat

"SHUT UP!" she suddenly screamed covering her ears. Quite a few people around her took a large step away from her with a scared look on their faces.

Haldir was by her side in a few minutes, "You all right?"

"I was having an argument with my conscience who suddenly decided to come into play," Rhiannan muttered.

"You win?" he asked.

"No," she glared at the ground, the glare actually made for herself, "I'm an evil self-absorbed prat."

Haldir chuckled and wrapped an arm around her, "No you're not. Your conscience finally decided to come out of hiding after the last battle is all. First one, I hear that you haven't had to fight for a quite a few months."

Rhiannan looked up at him, "Haldir I…" she paused when she heard someone let out a cheer that they were finally home.

"Yes?" he asked while he let the other villagers pass.

Before her true reasoning came out she suddenly hit on the shoulder and ran yelling, "YOU'RE IT!"

Haldir for a moment stood there in shock until a boy tugged at him, "Aren't you gonna go get her mister?"

"What is… it?" he asked confusedly.

The kid had him bend down and he explained it thoroughly into his ear. Haldir's eyes widened then he was quickly off in the direction Rhiannan had gone.

Finally the group of travelers that Danielle was in arrived back at Edoras later that night. There was to be a celebration held in honor of those who had died and also in victory of the battle. Danielle was busy helping Pippin down from one of the horses when she lost her balance and fell into another person. Luckily, whoever it was caught them, "Careful there," a voice spoke.

Danielle turned to find Éomer looking back at her, "Sorry about that," she spoke setting Pippin down on the ground. He was off like a rocket to the Golden Hall, "My balance doesn't function very well."

Éomer chuckled, "I noticed. You are Lady Danielle, Aragorn's sister, correct?"

Danielle nodded her head and put her handout to shake his, "Pleasure to meet you, Éomer."

He took her hand up and pressed his lips gently on her knuckles, "Pleasure is all mine, my lady," he smiled before bowing, "If you'll excuse me," and he left her to stare at him in shock. Okay… that was…weird… good thing Boromir wasn't here to see that… Danielle quickly shook her head and headed back up to the Golden Hall.

"Tonight we remember those who gave their blood to defend this country," Théoden spoke while raising his glass to those in his hall around him. "Hail the victorious dead!"

"HAIL!" those in the hall answered. Danielle glanced at her older brother to catch his flinch. How is one victorious if they are dead? Danielle asked herself before turning when the music and merry making began.

Both Danielle and Rhiannan found themselves laughing and clapping to the beat of the music. A hand tapped Danielle on the shoulder and she turned to find Éomer standing behind her, "The Elf and the Dwarf and having a drinking contest, and they are insisting that both you and your friend come watch," he told her with a light in his eyes she didn't understand.

Danielle quickly turned and grabbed Boromir, Rhiannan had heard Éomer, "Come on, the elves gonna get drunk," she told him dragging him, their hands interlaced out of habit.

Éomer took a seat next to the table where the beers were sitting. He oddly reminded the girls of a college frat boy passing out the drinks, "No pauses, no spills," he told the two.

"And no regurgitation!" Gimli laughed while picking up his first beer.

Legolas looked down confused, "So… it's a drinking game?"

"AYYE!" some of the Rohirrim answered.

"Last one standing wins heh heh heh!" Gimli laughed before picking up another beer.

Boromir walked over and picked up a beer for himself. Legolas slowly took a sip of the stuff then began to chug it down when Haldir came over and put his arms around Rhiannan. Jealous much? Danielle thought to herself glancing at Legolas who was drinking the drinks without even spilling a drop. Gimli on the other hand was making a huge mess across his beard, "So much for no spills," she muttered.

Éomer chuckled at her comment. It seemed another thirty minutes passed until Gimli let out a fowl fart and laughed while finally speaking, "Raaar it's the dwarves that go swimming with little, hairy women haha."

Never thought I would see a dwarf shit faced in my life, Danielle thought to herself, this is worse then the high hobbits.

Legolas was looking as his hands oddly, making Rhiannan raise an eye brow, "I feel something… A slight tingle in my fingers. I think it's affecting me," he looked up concerned. Danielle couldn't hold it in any longer. She suddenly doubled over with laughter; one would think she was the drunk one.

"What did I say?" Gimli spoke with a heavy slur, "He can't hold his liquor," and without another word he fell over backwards passed out.

"Games over," Legolas spoke looking at Éowyn then at Haldir. His face suddenly turned to stone and then a glare. "Haldir, come with me outside."

Rhiannan's eyes widened, "Legolas what are you doing?"

"Proving who is the better elf for you, Rhiannan," he told her, it seemed almost in character…yet not… "Haldir, I challenge you to a duel for Rhiannan's heart."

"Um…Legolas," Rhiannan whispered, she glanced over at Danielle who had Boromir trying to stop her from laughing, "I don't like you like that," she hissed this one.

"You are just delusional to this… sad excuse for an elf."

"Legolas," Haldir warned, "you are not right in your head, you've just downed a lot of human alcohol, it acts differently on your brain then elfish alcohol does."

"Backing out are you!" Legolas asked turning on his heel to look at him, wildly out of character.

"Legolas, this is not the time, nor the place."

"YES!" Legolas spoke holding up a finger, "IT IS!"

Danielle suddenly appeared, magically took a large mug of ale, put a baby's bottle top on it and put it in Legolas' mouth making him drink it. With in a moment he was out, in Boromir's arms (think anything wrong people I'll hunt you down and beat you!) then the Gondorian carried the unconscious elf to an empty bench and dropped him on "accident." Danielle was on another laughing fit and sat down at the end of one of the benches.

As the night moved on Pippin and Merry were up on one of the tables singing to one of the songs playing, "Oh you can search far and wide, you can drink the whole town dry."

"Would you like to dance Boromir?"

Boromir gave her a smile, "I'd really like to love, but I'm too tipsy at the moment to be much of a dancing partner."

Danielle pouted but then turned when Éomer tapped her on the shoulder, "Would you care to dance with me then?"

"Well since he doesn't…" she answered slowly before nodding her head and letting him lead her to the dance floor.

Pippin and Merry's song continued, "But you'll never find a beer so brown, But you'll never find a beer so brown,
As the one we drink in our hometown, As the one we drink in our hometown.

Éomer, all though he was obviously full of ale as well, was not that bad of a dancer. He spun her around the dance floor and Danielle let out a girlish laugh. Boromir watched in silence, and he felt his stomach flip over in jealousy. He had known Éomer, even before now, when Théoden and his father, Lord Denethor, would meet. When they were younger Éomer was a play boy of sorts, and Boromir knew the look Éomer had on his face to well, he also didn't like it.

"You can drink your fancy ales; you can drink them by the flagon
But the only brew for the brave and true…" Pippin stopped for a moment, Rhiannan noticed him glancing at Gandalf. Danielle on the other hand was in the middle of a turn with Éomer and was pulled back up against his chest, her eyes wide in almost shock. This feels…odd…and almost wrong… it's just a dance though…

"Pippin!" Merry yelled.

They finished their song, "Comes from the Green Dragon!"

Danielle turned and clapped for the two while laughing. She looked around for Boromir who was missing. Frowning, she thanking Éomer for the dance, then walked to Gandalf to ask him question, but was cut off by Aragorn, "No news of Frodo?"

"No word, nothing," Gandalf answered sounding slightly down trodden.

"We have time. Every day Frodo moves closer to Mordor," Aragorn told him.

Gandalf, for the first looked almost lost. Over the weeks that Danielle had been stuck alone with the wizard she hadn't seen this side of him, "Do we know that?"

"What does your heart tell you?" Aragorn asked, turning Gandalf's words on him. Danielle smiled at the question.

Gandalf nodded his head and spoke just before he noticed Danielle standing on the other side of him, "That Frodo is alive. Yes… yes he's alive."

Danielle turned to leave but the wizard touched her shoulder, "Your busy, I'll talk to you later…"

"No, my dear girl," Gandalf chuckled. "No time is better then the present."

"Can we speak outside?"

Gandalf nodded his head and lead her out. Rhiannan watched with a raised eye brow, seriously I do wonder what happened when Danielle was gone for those few days…

PRAT!

SHUT UP! She glared at herself again but continued on her train of thought. They did nothing dirty… eww…bad thoughts… But… hey where is Boromir? Haldir said he seemed upset or mad… Rhiannan's eyes grew bigger, Oh my God-a! Éomer was flirting with her! Boromir got jealous! I god! How stupid can I be! There is something going on, at least with their emotions! CRAP! SHE WAS RIGHT!

Note: So this one actually came out a lot faster then the other ones. Yeah so Anywho, let you guys in on a little secret, Danielle is the one who has been writing all, we mean all of the chapters, even this one. Except the note is Rhiannan cause Danielle doesn't know she is writing the note, and also posting it, woo! Yeah so, I'm moving to Washington soon, but don't worry Danielle will still get my input, just from afar, and Danielle is getting back from Florida tomorrow so she'll be back writing. She just e-mailed me this and told me to take a look at it. Also the other story, The Story of a Girl, I've seen what's gonna happen later on and I like the turn D's taken with it so if any of you guys like the story then keep reading it as it gets updated, it should be good! Anyway thanks to our wonderful reviewers:

Lovenhope, krillball6, ElfLuver13, Valinor's Twilight, Katie, Larien Telrunya, Nelarun, Sushi-san85, Audrey Midnight, Guinn Pern, Scorpian, Just Me, Laer4572, ElvenRyder, Icea, Aimme, Opera-Gypsy, and Lintered.

P.s. don't worry, even though Danielle and I won't be in the same state, Danielle will keep writing tell the end, I'll make her!

RBandDJ