DISCLAIMER: I do not get any money in return for writing this story. The only thing that I have to declare is that I'm sick and tired of having to say that I don't own lotr when it's painfully clear that I don't :P

AU: All of my characters' names have a special meaning. If you'd like to know what they are you can check them out on my profile under "Behind the Names".

A special thanks to all of my reviewers, followers, and favers...? fave-ies...? people who favorited the story. I wouldn't be continuing it without you!

.oOo.

Chapter XII

The Fateful Festival

Learn from yesterday, Live for today,

And hope for tomorrow.

~Albert Einstein

.oOo.

I arrived back at the house with low spirits and a tired mind and body. Darcy ran out to meet me, "Elanor! Are you alright?"

"Yes, I'm fine Darcy." I sighed.

"What happened?" she demanded at seeing my distress.

I glance at her with a bewildered look, "I... Silvius... I was banished from the forest. We aren't ever going to see each other again."

She stopped walking me towards the house, "Oh Elanor. I'm so sorry."

I shook my head, "It's not your fault."

She nodded solemnly before changing the subject to something happier, "I forgot to tell you this yesterday but I got... distracted." she skirted around our visit to the forest. I knew she wanted more information but I was glad she let the conversation die. "Anyway," she continued with a smile, "a festival is going to be held next week in the town square!"

I couldn't help but smile as she bounced up and down like a tween dreaming of prom.

"And what goes on in this festival?" I asked amused.

"Oh lots of things!" she grinned, "There will be food and games, and this year I'm finally old enough to join the dances!"

I laughed as I watched her twirl around, "You have someone in mind don't you?"

"What? No!" she stumbled before sadly tucking her curly black hair behind an ear, "All of the young men were taken for the war."

My face fell, "Oh."

She smiled weakly, "But no matter! We will have fun anyway."

I gave her a sympathetic look before smiling myself, "Of course we will."

She grinned back and we headed inside the house for breakfast. Kelvin was still a the table and Cardia was washing dishes at the sink.

"Darcy tells me that you found a place that looked familiar to your home." Kelvin smiled, "What have you to report? I should hope that it is good. You stayed away the whole night after all!"

'Oh yeah, that's right! I got Darcy to cover for me last night.' I realized with a shock, 'Quick! Think of something convincing to say!'

"I thought I did, but it turned out to be untrue. It only looked like a place near my home." I said with a genuine downcast look.

"Ah." he nodded, "I am sorry to hear this." He sighed, "I would advise you not to wander off at night again. It is dangerous in these times."

I nodded, "I won't."

He smiled as he stood to place a hand on my shoulder, "You will find your people again. I know it. Do not give up hope."

I smiled up at him, "Thanks."

With one last nod he walked out of the door and on to his work. I turned back to Darcy and she handed me a slice of bread, "Here. You must be pretty hungry."

"Oh man alive. You're right!" I exclaimed. I must not have realized my hunger because of all the stress. Gave me flashbacks of when I would sit in may room and read all day then dash down at supper to devour everything because I had forgotten to eat. I smiled as I ate the bread and drank the water I was given. Food here wasn't near as good as it was back home, but it did it's job well enough.

When I finished I thanked Cardia for the meal before following Darcy out the door. We then carried out our regular routine and carried herbs to the market where we sold as much as we could. At around noon we packed up and headed back to the house. I helped Darcy put up the leftover herbs and started walking off to the forest to visit Silvius-

I stopped in my tracks as I remembered.

My shoulders slumped, 'I can't go back.' I looked up at the distant woods hoping that I would get a glimpse of my friend, but all that I saw was the gentle waving of the bows as they were blown to and fro by the wind.

I sighed and tried to shrug off the sadness, 'Well. I missed my training this morning anyway. Might as well do it now.'

"What are you doing?" Darcy asked me as I started stretching.

I didn't stop to answer, "Beginning my exercise."

"Can I watch?" she asked eagerly.

I shrugged, "I don't see why not." I straightened up and breathed in deeply, "I think it's time that I start back on 'gymnastics' exercises."

Darcy stumbled over the English word, "Jimnastiks?"

I opened my mouth to explain but then closed it, "You know what? Why don't I just show you?"

She nodded and I readied myself to do a cartwheel. It was the simplest thing that I could do to get the meaning of gymnastics across without endangering my own health by trying something that I haven't practiced in nearly two months.

I straightened up with my arms in the air, took a breath, and turned an almost perfect cartwheel.

"Wow!" I heard Darcy exclaim as I straightened up again, "How did you do that?"

I laughed, "Lot's of practice." 'And guts.' I mentally added.

I then sat down on the ground and did leg stretches, and boy oh boy was I tight! "Ow." I mumbled.

Darcy looked at me confused, "Why do you do that if it hurts?"

"Because," I said while straining to touch my toes, "it allows me to move better. No pain," I winced, "no gain."

She looked at me befuddled, "That doesn't sound like a good proverb."

I then switched to stretching out my splits which I was surprised was not as bad as I thought, "Well, that's just a saying that people tell in order to keep others from telling them they're pushing themselves too hard."

"Oh." a very confused Darcy said.

I smirked, "Don't worry about it."

She nodded and continued to watch me stretch out everything. I stayed like this for about an hour before I finally got my split barely on point. Darcy's mouth dropped to the ground when I did it in front of her.

"How...?"

I laughed as I got up, "Persistence."

Deciding to give my legs a break I decided to see if I could still do a handstand. I lifted my arms up then bent over to the ground and with a little difficulty, lifted my feet up in the air. I did manage to stay there, but soon collapsed out of laughter because the skirt of my dress fell down and even though I had pants on, Darcy was still trying to cover up my legs by holding my skirt up.

"Darcy what were you trying to do?" I laughed where I was sprawled out on the ground.

She looked flustered, "You shouldn't do that! It was... indecent!"

This only made me laugh more as I stood up, "I have pants on." I then lifted up my skirt to show her and she immediately batted it down, "Elanor! You should be ashamed of yourself!"

I chuckled and put my arm around her shoulders, "Oh Darcy. You're so 'naive'. It's cute." I walked away and soon heard her flustered voice call out, "What does nieev mean?!"

I laughed again before I turned around, "I'll tell you. If you can catch me!"

"Elanor!" I heard her shout as I turned and ran out into the fields. I looked behind me and she wasn't too far off behind me. I was still faster though. I ran until I could tell she was tiring and slowed down to wait for her.

She soon walked up to me huffing and puffing, "Why... did... you do that...?"

I grinned as a brilliant idea popped into my brain. It was the perfect solution to filling in the time that I would have been spending with Silvius, "That was your self defense lesson for today."

She looked at me confused, "What?"

"I have come to realize that the best option for you in a life threatening situation is to run." sure she was picking up the self defense skill up pretty fast but she still lacked the strength to carry them out well. So I impulsly decided to train her legs in the meantime.

"Oh ok." she huffed, still trying to get her breath.

"Of course, we'll be running together in a more moderate speed but I couldn't help myself." I grinned.

She glared at me, "I don't appreciate it."

I laughed, "I know."

She playfully punched my arm and I smiled.

Thus began the start of a new routine. Basically everything was the same except I would go for a jog with Darcy instead of visiting Silvius. I would often take us up near the forest to entertain the lingering hope that I would see him again, but that hope was crushed every single time I looked. In those days I felt so alone. He had been my one source of English and now I had no one to talk to. Granted his pronunciation could use a ton of work but it was English none the less. Now I really saw how much I missed it.

I went to bed the night before the festival thinking of this same subject. English; Westron. They were one in the same. Westron. The west. My face lit up when I realized that I'd be able to hear English again if I ventured west. But how to get there.

I sighed. I don't know hardly anything about keeping myself alive in the wilds. 'I wouldn't last two days let alone the near moth it would take to get to a western city.' I stuck my tongue out, 'Plus it doesn't help that I look like an Easterling.'

I silently snorted, 'I suppose I'll just have to wait this thing out then.'

I then wondered if the Greenwood elves were going to come east in the war. I sure wish the books would have mentioned something about the East so I would know a little of what's to come in the East! 'All my knowledge of Middle-earth is of the West so how am I supposed to know these things to keep me alive?' I inwardly groaned, 'I hope luck chooses to side with me. I don't know if I can survive without it.'

'I have no idea what I'm getting myself into.' I thought before the night lulled me to sleep.

.oOo.

The next day was filled with excited and busy people hurrying all over the place. In the market place banners were set up and decorations hung across the street in crisscross patterns. The town square was decorated as the dance floor and flower wreaths were everywhere.

Darcy was ecstatic as she carried out the morning task of selling her herbs. So ecstatic that when it was time to head back to the house she almost forgot the left over herbs. I teased her about it all the way home where Cardia called us inside the house as soon as she saw us.

We set aside the herbs and hurried inside where we were met by Cardia who was wearing the biggest smile I had ever seen her don.

"What is it, mama?" Darcy asked.

Cardia smiled even more as she walked to a trunk, "Well, this being the year you come of age, Darcy, and your very first festival, Elanor. I thought it would be appropriate for both of you to have dresses to fit today's occasion."

Darcy and I both gasped when she pulled out two newly sewn dresses out of the trunk. One was a deep red with simple purple accents and the other was a light blue with beautiful silver embroidery.

Darcy thanked her mother profusely when she was handed the blue gown. I grinned and thanked Cardia as well when I received the other.

"Mother, how did you find such soft a cloth? It must have costed so much!" Darcy exclaimed as she wondered at the silky cloth.

Cardia smiled, "Well, after Elanor's generous gift I was able to buy new cloth to fix up my old dress and make a new one." she smiled broader, "The one you're holding, Darcy, was the dress I wore when I met your father."

Darcy gasped in surprise, "Oh mama, that's wonderful!"

I sighed happily as they continued to talk about the dress. Turns out that it had been passed down for many a generation. An heirloom from Cardia's family. 'Heirlooms. Something modern times miss out on.' I mused.

Cardia soon insisted that we put on the dresses. I grinned at an idea, "Miss. Cardia. I'll help Darcy get her's on if you want a surprise. I'll call you back in when we're done."

She was confused at first but soon caught on and smiled a thanks before leaving the house.

Darcy looked at me suspiciously, "What are you planning?"

I smiled, "Oh nothing. Now get dressed."

She obeyed and I soon followed. The dress fit like a charm and I wasn't tripping over the hem which I was very grateful for. I then turned to Darcy and ordered her to sit in a chair. She obliged and I started working on her hair. It was definitely a challenge, but I managed to tie her curly hair up in a half up half down plait with only one pin and a tiny strip of leather.

I grinned as I looked her over, "Your mom is going to love this." I turned and opened the front door where Cardia was nervously waiting. She looked up at me and I motioned for her to come inside the house. She complied and I closed the door back behind her.

Darcy turned around to face her mother with a gentle smile on her face. Cardia covered her mouth as her breath was stolen away. Tears came to her eyes, "Oh darling, you look so beautiful."

Darcy blushed and hugged her mother, but they soon broke apart when Kelvin entered the house.

"Is everyone ready-" his words faded as he caught sight of his daughter. He smiled as he walked over to her and gently cupped her cheek, "You look just like your mother."

She smiled and hugged him tight before pulling away with tears brimming in her eyes, "Thank you, Papa."

I chuckled to myself when Kelvin stealthily wiped away a tear before huffing, "Well. the festivities are fixing to begin." He offered his arm to Cardia, "Shall we go?"

My eyes watered as I watched the family smile at each other. Love like that didn't grow on trees, and quite frankly, I didn't know the first step in how to achieve it. 'Maybe I will someday.' I thought as I watched them walk out of the house and on to the town square.

I, of course, was not forgotten; Darcy hooked my arm in her's and whispered, "Thank you, Ella."

I stopped in my tracks, "What did you just say?" I murmured in shock.

She looked at me confused, "Thank you... Ella."

I stared into her eyes, 'No one except my family ever called me that.' I looked away, 'My family... I know I'll see my parents again. I will never stop looking for a way to find them. I will never stop looking for a way home to my country, my heritage..., but right now. Right now,' I looked back at Darcy with a sad smile, 'she's all the family I need.' That realization came as a shock to me, but I accepted it soother than my gut would have guessed.

My smile turned bright again as I hooked our arms back together, "Never mind. Let's go."

She nodded and with a laugh on her lips she proceeded to drag me down the streets to the town square. My mouth slackened as I looked at the place. Vendors were open with all sorts of treats and goodies and people were already in the square dancing to wonderful music. I looked over at Darcy who was staring at the dancing folk longingly, "Hey Darcy."

She turned to me, "Yes?"

I grinned as I stepped away and bowed low, "My lady, would you join me for a dance?"

She giggled and curtsied back, "I would love to!" I took her hands and we pranced into the square, twirling each other around until we got dizzy and had to stop for a breather.

"Is that how people dance where you come from?" Darcy said as she regained her breath.

I laughed, "No. Not at all." 'If she saw what they danced like she would turn beet red and stay that way for a whole year.' I thought with another laugh.

She smiled, "Well what do they dance like?"

I mentally face-palmed, 'Oh man alive. You just had to ask that didn't you?'

"Umm..." I mumbled while trying to come up with a dance that was "safe". "Waltz!" I exclaimed when it hit me.

She looked at me confused, "What?"

I grinned, "We waltz! Here let me show you."

"Alright." she smiled back.

I then proceeded to give her a two minute lesson on waltzing. I remember Michael took waltzing in high school but admittedly, I hardy remember anything he told me about it.

Darcy soon got the gist of it despite my teaching handicap and we were clumsily waltzing the afternoon away. However, we were broken up at sunset when the gates of the town were opened and a troupe of soldiers clad in black and red road their midnight steeds into the square.

I would soon find out that the one leading them was Azazel, General of the Easterling Army and the father of the mercenary that Silvius killed.