Hey Readers! How are you all doing?

I just want to thank you for your support, and want to let you know that I currently have another Lord of the Rings story out now called Rise of the Valkyrie and it's going to be pretty lit. I totally hope you guys go read it too and give it a shot!

Thanks again for the amazing support!

Ally Layne.

Do Not Go Gentle

Chapter 26: Lessons and Impressions

Screams echoed through my pain-ridden nightmares and throughout the night, I was kept waiting for their end. The darkness which shrouded me latched onto my arms and legs, locking my body in place. It never allowed the end to arrive.

A faint light flickered in the distance, and continued to grow, soon overtaking me.

I woke up.

Tears fell from my opening eyes and ran past my neck, dripping onto the silk sheets beneath me.

I lifted a stiff arm, taking note of the new bandages that were wrapped around the wound from the battle, and rubbed the tears from my eyes. Another deep breath later, and I finally looked around and saw that I was alone.

Didn't I ask Glorfindel to stay? He must not have meant it. But that's okay, it's not like I was actually expecting the elf to stay with me the entire night- well, I was, but I understood why he wouldn't.

Actually, I didn't understand, but I had to accept that he left and I couldn't expect anything from the elf I had only known for a few weeks.

I sighed.

"Oh! You are awake!"

Maybe I wasn't as alone as I thought.

Gerda bustled in, holding various gowns of different shades of green and blue in her arms. Her face was flushed and immediately after looking me over she brightened with joy. "It is so nice to see you awake. It has been a long two days for us all, mellon nin."

I paused. "What do you mean, two days?" My eyebrows started to scrunch together. "Was I really sleeping that long?"

She nodded, lying the dresses down upon the ottoman in front of my bed. "Lord Glorfindel explained that you would be exhausted and told everyone not to worry if you would be asleep for long."

I could feel the blood rush to my cheeks at the sound of his name. "Glorfindel told me… uh… he told me he was going to stay," I embarrassedly rattled out, rubbing the back of my neck with my non-wounded arm.

A knowing smile grew on Gerda's face as she sat at the side of the bed, taking my hands in hers. "I assure you he was here as much as he could have been until Lord Elrond had him go back to the village to protect them during their reconstruction period," she told me. "It was rather nice to see a warrior like himself protecting you as you deserve."

I thought about the nightmares but did my best to smile. "I hardly deserve the kindness he has shown me. Really, I hardly deserve the kindness all of you have shown me."

Gerda hid her soft giggles. "I doubt you did anything to deserve the kindness Lady Mirwen has bestowed upon you."

I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, well, not including her or any of her puppets."

Gerda looked confused. "What are puppets?"

I wracked my brain to try and figure out how to describe what a puppet was, but with the headache from my previous freak-out, it was pretty hard. "Well… they're things that people use to act things out, which basically means she is in control of them I guess."

She nodded slowly, and I felt the sides of my lips pull upward at the gears turning in her head. "I think I understand what you mean."

I smiled. "So you get why I said it?"

Gerda giggled openly this time. "Oh, yes, it is rather hilarious the way she has those other courtiers in her hand. They do everything to stay on the good side of her bidding."

A knock sounded on my door, and I looked down at my apparel in annoyance. Obviously someone had changed me into a nightgown, something that I'd rather not have anyone that wasn't a girl friend of mine see.

"Will you go get that for me?" I asked, looking up at Gerda hopefully.

She smiled brilliantly. "It is one of my jobs, Persie. I will be right back, just relax."

I moved out of the bed, letting out a low groan when I felt the aches and pains in the rest of my muscles. Today was going to be rough, I knew it.

"Hello, mellon nin," a soothing voice rang out from the doorway to my room. "It is nice to see you on your feet."

I turned to smile widely at Arwen, who was wearing a glittering gown that trickled down her curves like a waterfall. "I'm glad to be on my feet," I admitted.

She nodded. "You have the next few days to yourself. You are not to go to the training arena, as Ada would like for you to rest for a few days after the small battle that happened at the village."

I sighed, grabbing one of the gowns that looked comfy enough. "I'm not really feeling up to training, anyway."

Arwen tilted her head slightly in question but chose not to say anything in response. I ignored her blatant curiosity and changed quickly into the green gown I chose, and let my hair fall out of the braid that it had been secured in.

"I think I might just relax a bit today," I told her. "Would you like to join me?"

The rest of the day was spent either eating, reading, napping, or listening to the faint sounds of the waterfalls that surrounded Imladris. Arwen kept close to me as I wasted my time, but was obviously doing her own paperwork and reading.

"When do you think Lord Glorfindel will return?" I asked her after we finished our dinner. "It will be nice to train with him when I'm not this sore."

A delicately refined brow raised. "Why do you ask?"

I shrugged, turning to the book I was trying to read per Arwen's suggestion. "I don't know. It was nice of him to help me, that's all."

I didn't have to look at Arwen to know she was smiling widely. "Yes, it was kind of him to assist you. He was rather reluctant to follow Ada's orders, and nearly did not go."

I blinked. "What?"

A small giggle escaped her lips. "Yes, Lord Glorfindel was not ready to leave your side when Ada told him to bring an escort and a couple of healers to assist the townspeople."

I nodded slowly, trying to digest this information. I turned to her before asking, "You mean to tell me he didn't want to leave after I asked him to stay?"

Both of her eyebrows raised. "You asked him to stay?"

"No, I mean… it wasn't like I asked him to sleep with me, but I didn't want to be alone, so…"

She waved her hand dismissively. "I understand, do not worry. I am glad you feel safe whilst he is around."

I let out a cough before turning back down to my book. "I never said he made me feel safe."

Her laughter echoed through the room. "You did not have to, Persie. Your eyes said it all."

I let my hair fall past my ears to hide the blush that quickly spread along my face. Arwen was not going to let this go anytime soon, it seemed.

"However, Ada did tell me that Lord Glorfindel would be returning within the next few days. He knew you would ask, it seems."

Apparently, neither was Lord Elrond.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

The next few days passed relatively smoothly, or rather I didn't end up in any precarious or life-threatening situations that were worth recollecting or even remembering. To be honest, most of my time was spent either napping or relaxing as best I could because I couldn't bring my body to do anything else.

Apparently, Varis felt the same way and had kept herself in her room ever since her arrival.

"What do you mean she doesn't want any visitors?" I asked Alma, who had admitted to me upon her arrival to my rooms that she wasn't getting anywhere with her task to help Varis assimilate to Imladris society.

She was sitting next to me on my bed, with our backs resting against the headboard. It was funny to try and get her to sit there with me, as according to her it wasn't necessarily proper for us to be in my bed.

I just rolled my eyes at her pompous behavior and dragged her onto the bed with me to be at my side.

"I mean, Persie, that Miss Varis does not want anything to do with elves at the moment," my blonde friend said snappishly, and it was then I noticed the slightly frazzled state she was in. "I do not know what else to do, and it seems every time I get closer to breaking through her exterior I only find myself pushed farther away."

I pursed my lips, reminding myself of the funeral that we had held for her mother. "She has lost a lot, Alma. We can't expect her to be happy-go-lucky and want to be our friend right away."

My friend narrowed her eyes. "You did."

I shrugged. "I guess I'm different." I paused, before continuing, "And don't you remember all the times where I haven't been so kind to people? Or where I have royally screwed up?"

Alma rolled her eyes. "It is not as if we expect you or Varis to be perfect; just that we wish you try."

I sighed. "And Varis isn't trying?"

She let her head fall back dramatically. "No, she is not! And nothing I have done has helped!"

I tried to hide the amusement I felt at her frustration. "Maybe you need to give her some time, mellon nin."

Alma's dark eyes glittered at the sound of me using Sindarin. "You have been practicing."

I nodded. "And I also know what Varis is going through. The last thing she needs is us trying to barge in on her life or her grieving process. We can only wait to be there for her when she comes to us."

"I will think upon that," she said after some moments of debate. "Perhaps there are other ways I can try to befriend her as well."

I shrugged. "Bring Aldarian along once, he tends to lighten the mood."

Alma laughed. "I want to befriend her, Persie, not scare her!"

I burst out laughing, as though it was the funniest thing I had heard in my entire life. The two of us kept laughing and falling on top of each other in tears of hilarity until Gerda came in to escort me to my lesson with Lady Heliel.

Once we sobered at her presence, Gerda made her annoyance quite clear. "What in Arda are you two doing?" Gerda asked, placing her hands on her hips. "This is not proper at all."

I started laughing again, and Alma soon followed, leaving Gerda to sigh and cross her arms whilst waiting us out. "Gerds, live a little!" I exclaimed.

A small smile tugged on her face. "I am living, Lady Persephone. I can feel my heartbeat if I wish, too."

I rolled off of the bed, landing with a thump in front of her.

That got her to laugh, and soon all three of us were in tears from laughing so hard. "It is nice to see you so joyous, Persie," Gerda told me. "I like seeing you laugh, again."

I shrugged, standing up and letting Gerda quickly do my hair before we rushed to Lady Heliel's rooms. "It's nice to be with my friends."

I allowed myself to be dolled-up, knowing well enough that if I didn't then it would be way worse later one when Lady Heliel would fuss for the entire time over how underdressed I was to be in her presence.

Sigh.

After fixing my hair for it to fall down my back in elegant waves, she led me to the rooms where I would learn to "be a proper Lady."

"I, or someone else, will be here to escort you back to your rooms after the lesson," Gerda told me, leaving me at the door. I quickly said my goodbyes and knocked on the door to await the displeasure that was sure to come.

And boy, did it come.

I don't understand what Lord Elrond is trying to accomplish my forcing me to do lessons in propriety with Lady Heliel. I mean, first: the woman is a complete and utter snake. I am pretty sure at one point she had hissed at me for grabbing the wrong fork for salad.

Either she was Medusa reincarnate or a snake in an elleth's skin. That's all I had to say about her.

"Oh child, what are you wearing? Do you not understand that showing up in that garb is absolutely uncourteous toward me, your host? What would you do if it were Lord Elrond who had summoned you?"

Alas, it was time to tune her garbage out.

After many repetitions of me saying, "Yes, Lady Heliel," or "No, Lady Heliel," we were in the middle of discussing what type of cutlery to use in different situations of feasting when a knock on the door sounded.

I looked up toward the ceiling, silently praising all of the Valar for letting this not last forever. Lady Heliel, however, seemed to notice me do this and tsked at my "nonsense."

"You should learn to hide your disdain for this better, Lady Persephone," she sneered. "One may think you actually hate what Lord Elrond is asking you to do. That could be seen as an offense to his leadership."

I looked at the Lady in a stiff calm. "I believe it would only be doubting your ability to teach me, Lady Heliel. However, it seems that our time is up and I must go."

Her sneer turned into a glower. "Fine, leave my chambers, child. But you will never be able to live as a proper Lady with the attitude you continue to pursue."

I shrugged, standing up from the chair and waltzed to the door with all the hauteur I could possess. Immediately I opened the door and prepared to greet Gerda with a smile.

But when I opened the door, it wasn't Gerda standing there.

It was a particular Golden Warrior whom I had come to value very much.

"Hello, Lady Persephone."

I was too surprised to have anything quick so say in response.

"Oh, hello Lord Glorfindel! It is a pleasure to see you as always," Lady Heliel's voice carried over from where she was firmly planted. "It is so charitable for you to guide Lady Persephone around. We all know that the girl needs proper supervision, after all."

Goldilocks's face turned sour as he looked over my shoulder at the elleth standing there. "Unfortunately, Lady Heliel, I am all too well aware of what predicaments Lady Persephone finds herself in when I am not there to assist her."

I heard her huff in laughter before continuing to talk to him and immediately pushed past the golden elf to get out of there. I was not about to stand around and listen to a meaningless conversation about me, especially with me standing right there.

I kept walking down the hallway and ignored hearing Goldilocks give his goodbyes to the Lady before following me. Never once did I slow down, even though he had called my name to try and get me to do just that.

Nope. I was salty. He left me, and now he was talking about how I caused problems whenever he wasn't there? What a jerkwad. I have no time for jerkwads, thank you very much.

"Nemir… Gwingil-"

His voice cut off as soon as I whirled back around to stare him down. He was wearing a richly embroidered grey coat that fell down to his knees and dark trousers with his normal black boots. His sword was again belted at his side and I couldn't help but think he was ridiculously handsome.

It was hard to be mad at a handsome man, especially one as perfect as him, but I made it work.

"Don't call me that, Goldfish," I snapped, crossing my arms angrily in front of my chest.

His eyebrows and hands raised in tandem at his initial shock. "What is the matter?"

I scoffed. "You're insufferable."

Glorfindel looked immeasurably confused. "I honestly have no clue as to what I did to bother you so."

"What, you don't remember promising me you'd stay by my side?" I felt frustration stir in my gut. "I know that you had orders and all, but you could have left a note or something. I mean, do I really mean that little to you?"

His eyebrows furrowed. "Nemir-"

"Don't call me that!"

"Gwingil-"

"Don't call me that, either!"

He let out a long sigh and took a step forward. "I am sorry, Persephone, I never meant to hurt you by leaving your side. I do agree that I should have left a note or something of that caliber-"

"Damn straight."

Glorfindel's eyes looked down at me pointedly. "But you also should understand that I am in charge of Lord Elrond's warriors. I need to be appointed to certain duties whether you think they are timely or not."

I huffed and curled my arms around myself even tighter. "It was not comforting to wake up alone."

His eyes softened. "I apologize for that."

I sighed and started to feel myself loosen up at his sincerity. "I also don't like that you were commenting on how I get into trouble when you're not around when talking to Lady Heliel. The elleth doesn't like me already, I don't need you to make it even worse, Goldilocks."

A light eyebrow raised. "Goldilocks? Am I on your good side, now?"

My eyes narrowed. "Do you want me to be mad at you?"

Glorfindel's responding laughter echoed throughout the halls, bringing a small smile to my lips at the sound. "Of course not, Nemir. But if you can call me Goldilocks, I shall be able to call you Nemir."

"What does it mean?"

A grin played upon his lips. "Water Jewel."

My eyes twinkled. "You think I'm a jewel? A water jewel? That's a little cliche, even for you, Goldilocks."

"And Goldilocks isn't cliche?"

I shrugged. "I think it suits you well enough."

He grinned and leaned against the stone wall while getting a funny look in his eyes. "I think 'water jewel' suits you as well."

I let out a hum, and in turn, leaned on the wall by his side. The conversation had mellowed out into silence, and for the first time in days, I enjoyed the simple pleasure of being at his side.

"I'm glad you're back," I told him softly, looking at his figure from the corner of my eye. "It was boring without you here…"

"Oh?"

I grinned. "And without being able to go to the training grounds."

He let out a bark of laughter. "That sounds more like the Persephone I know."

Glorfindel threw an arm around my shoulders, and it took all the self-control I had in my body to not nuzzle up to his side. "Let us go to the dining hall. I think it is time to get some food in you, especially since you are still recovering."

I rolled my eyes, all the while hoping he didn't notice my reddening face. "Whatever you say, Goldilocks."

A crooked grin snuck its way onto his face and nearly made me swoon right then and there. "It sounds like a date to me, Nemir."

And then, as though saying that this might actually be a date to go down in the history books as the first date I have ever been on in my short life- the Golden Elf winked.

He winked.

If he hadn't noticed my flushed face, he sure did now.

And the bastard looked mighty pleased with the sight of it as he walked me to the dining hall. I was probably going to have to go dig a hole and bury myself in it if things kept going at this rate.

But gods help me, I enjoyed it.