It was Star's and Secret's 50,000th game. So far it was 24,999 games Lady
won and 24,999 games Secret won. This was the tiebreaker game. Since they
decided to could funny when doing it, this next game would count as two,
not to mention that they doubled the number of spaces to 18, and the number
one had to get in a row to 6. It was just more challenging that way.
On her White Beanbag Chair/Throne Lóst, Guardian of the Council, was napping quietly. She had dozed off around game 300 or so. She hadn't expected this little tic-tac-toe tournament to last much longer, but after awaking several hours later and seeing the two still playing she realized she had been wrong.
"Lady Star! Lord Secret! What are you two still doing playing tic-tac- toe at a time like this!"
"Shh! We're trying to concentrate here Lóst!" Lady scolded.
"Yeah!" Added Lord Secret. "This is the tiebreaker game! Whomever wins this is the Master Jedi of Tic-Tac-Toe!"
Lady looked at her options. Secret had five in a row two ways. She could only block one, so in effect he would win either way. Then, she devised an unbeatable plan.
"Lord Secret, if you win this game you get a horrible pay cut." She said calmly and simply.
Now the tide was turned. Lord Secret let those two chances at a win be filled in, and next time he had an option of whether or not to block a win by Lady, he chose not to. Thus Lady Star won the tournament, was named Master Jedi of Tic-Tac-Toe, and Secret was allowed to keep his paycheck.
"Sometimes it pays to be the boss." Lady muttered. And then she turned her attention to a very aggravated Lóst.
"Dear Lóst, what do you need?" She said, completely happy due to her winning of the tournament.
"You two are planning on sending the first Eldar ever outside of Arda in less than three days and you just sitting here playing chess for, what time is it? TWENTY HOURS STRAIGHT! I can't even believe I spelt that long!"
"We slipped you something to calm you down." Lord Secret muttered.
"Anyway!" Lóst said angry at being slipped a drug by her so-called friends. "You should call Council or something with the other Masters and Apprentice Masters. Determine whose going on the first trip to Naboo."
"You mean there's going to be more than two?" Asked Lady Star, eyeing Secret suspiciously. He was known for allowing more people than were welcome to do things.
"Look not at me dearest Lady, for 'twas not I who determined seven others should go. It was our Lore Master Heír."
"That pompous windbag!" Lady Star exclaimed. "I don't give a naff what shade of blonde Legolas was or any of his other useless trivia! Our Archives are swelling with those trashy books he says we need. That's were last millennium's budget went you know!" It was clear that she was quite upset with him for blowing the budget on a million copies of Manwë's Book of Arda's Records.
She cooled down and then reached a conclusion. "Alright. Lóst, please call the Head Council together. Lord Secret and I will be in private council in my chambers until they are assembled. Please come and fetch us at that time.
Lóst rose, bowed, muttered, "Yes milady!" And marched off through the gates to fetch them. For her it was going to be a long trip so she packed a sack of food and water, and with her Running Rollers on her feet she set off skating the first mile down the Main Hall to her first stop.
After Lóst had left, Lady arose and turned to Lord Secret saying, "Come with me." Together they set off to the nearby boat in the stream. They climbed in and with a wave of Secret's hand it shoved off and headed upstream.
They rode in silence and deep thought, with many Tree's passing on either side of them. They two were strangely peaceful in the magical twilight in which the Head Council Chambers was placed. After all, they themselves had woven the enchantments into the hidden halls, as they had recently woven the enchantments into the Portal, which the Company of Nine Starwalkers would soon go through.
They reached the waterfall and with a wave of Lady Star's hand the flow split allowing the boat safe passage beneath the falls and into the little alcove where it was normally kept when Star and Secret were resting in their chambers.
They got out onto the docks and walked down the glowing passage and to the inner lake. As they approached a large natural bridge of stone rose out of the water, creating the only path to the other side, since the cave in which the lake was placed had no shore to walk around on.
They quickly made their way across the stone bridge onto the ledge, which led to the doors of their chambers. Lady, leading the way, took to the right and led Lord Secret into her room. Secret had an idea of where this would soon end up, but didn't lead on that he knew the way into Star's room.
Once inside they could see the view of the sea from the magical Bay Window in Lady Star's room. It was a warm, sunny day, and the wind was blowing in large waves, which crashed profusely against the shore.
"Do you remember when we first met?" Lady Star asked Lord Secret, sitting down on her bed, beckoning him to join her there. She swung he legs onto the bed next to her, half-sitting, half-lying on her side.
"Remember?" He asked, "How could I ever forget?!?! We met back in the twenty-first century of man's new reckoning, on a program of theirs called AIM. Part of their technology." He said chuckling at the memory. Lord Secret wasn't an old elf, neither was Lady Star. They were both only around 2,400 years old, but in those years so much had happened.
"Yes." She said agreeing with him as he sat down on the bed next to her. "That was back in the times when we regarded ourselves humans as well…" The thought troubled her. She missed her family, whom she had long since lost track of. Immortality really wasn't all it was cracked up to be unless you were born of elves. Unfortunately, neither of them were, nor any member of the head council. It had all begun so very long ago really…
By the 21st Century in the reckoning of man, the Elven Race had long since passed out of Arda and into the Blessed Realm. Those that refused to leave eventually faded out of Arda, their bodies being consumed by the fire of their spirits. All that was left in the world of their race were the men who possessed Elven Blood.
Well, according to the technology of biology and use of Punnet Squares, it has been determined the following way. Those men who possessed the blood of elves did not at first marry others with those similar traits. But, after a few thousand years more and more humans with Elven Blood got together and had children. Now, if they were only 1/100 Elven, that meant that they had a chance of either having children with no Elven traits, 1/100 Elven Blood, or 1/50 of the traits.
Now let's just say that a bunch of families had children with 1/50th. What if those children got together and had children who received all Elven Traits from their parents. Then they would be 1/25th. After that the next children would be 1/12.5th Elven. And so on and so forth until they reached about 1/3 to 1/2 Elven characteristics depending on the number of traits received. Now what if those people with 1/2 traits got together? It mean that they had 25% chance of children with no Elven Blood, 50% chance of children with 1/2 Elven Blood, and 25% change of children with all Elven Blood, meaning that the race of Elves was reborn into the world.
Those children with all Elven Blood were the Elven Jedi like Lady Star, Lord Secret, Lóst, Heír, and the other Master Elven Jedi.
Well, these children went through their adolescence at a normal Human rate due to the pollution's and toxins that the race of man had introduced into the diet of its people. Though Elves were immune to most harms this constant bombardment had an effect of rapped maturing on the New Elves of Arda.
So, after being chased out of society by their former families these friends finally decided to act upon their plans for a secretive organization they invented back in their days on AIM. So, they built their Hidden Halls under a mountain in (LOCATION CLASSIFIED) and began discover things like the Jedi Arts and such.
"I said I loved you one day Secret, remember?" Lady continued, her words forming visions as clear as day in the mind of her friend and ally.
Of course he remembered! He may have forgotten the names of different countries over the years but he would never forget something like that!
"I remember." He said quietly, and then fell silent being horribly conscious of where they were, and what the rules were of the Elven Jedi. Finally, he spoke to her at last.
"Lady, we cannot do this, you know that. It is forbidden by the laws of the Elven Jedi Council."
Lord Secret grew very worried when Lady Star started laughing uncontrollably, frequently forgetting to breath. Tears rolled down her cheeks she was laughing so hard.
It wasn't her normal reserved laugh she used around the Council either. It was her laugh she used back in the days of their Human existence, before she was the ruler of all that was left of the Elven Race. Finally, she composed herself enough to be able to speak, and gasped:
"Lord Secret! Ha! Have you forgotten that we are the leaders of the Elven Jedi Council? We can do as we please!" She then quickly, seeming to have realize something, sobered up and said morbidly, "Unless it doesn't please…" Her voice trailed off and she fell to a depressed form of silence.
"It isn't that Lady, you know that. But I do know that we are stuck with each other for a very long time, and I do not want to rush into anything that may hurt my friendship with you for a millennia or so."
"Oh sure!" She exclaimed, "It's only been what, 2,000 years! Who wants to rush!" She then bit her lip, and cried out quite tearfully, "It's just I've been alone so long! So very alone, and it hurts so much!"
"What do you mean alone? I've been here with you the whole time." Lord Secret said.
"Just because you were here doesn't mean I wasn't alone Secret!" She whimpered. "Of course you were near to me, but the whole time you were so very far. At times I feared we were growing apart, but I assured myself it wasn't so; but look at us now. Can't we even have a real conversation together anymore? Like we used to?"
It was then that Secret realized what he had done, and been doing even then. They weren't talking like they used to, no, the most he would do was answer her questions and say no more. What an ass he had been, but what could he do to save them from an awful fate?
As it turned out he didn't have to do anything, for at that moment of realization Lady Star grabbed him and kissed him rather passionately. He returned her kiss, and before anything more could happen between them there came a knocking at the door. It was Lóst. The council was assembled awaiting their presence. Lady Star and Lord Secret composed themselves and followed their trusted friend Lóst out the door and back to the Council Chambers. None of the three said a word…
Well, as it was the Head Council was in session, arguing over whom should be sent on the trip. Meanwhile Raven and Vinyavagor were busy catching up on unknown folklore about companies of nine.
As it turned out, there would most likely be nine opponents fighting against them all the way, and those nine would most likely be more powerful. While Raven spent his time learning everything he could about this, Vinyavagor took a great deal of time trying to sneak more peeks at the book on wet tee-shirt contests. Pitiful was the usual celibacy of the elves… no random sex for them.
Meanwhile, back in the Head Council Chambers…
"No, you can't!" Exclaimed Tina, the Head of Canon, "It goes against Canon for we Elves to travel past the outer sea!"
"But men have done it, why can't we?" Asked Callie, the Head of Negotiations, "We have run out of people to work with here." She said, "Why not travel through the depths of- what did you call it Lord Secret?- oh, right, 'space', and find more beings to interact with?" Seeming as how they didn't really interact with any creatures on Arda, her statement was quite correct.
"We have sat dormant in our Hidden Halls far too long." Agreed Shat, the Head of Protection. "Our Protection forces are as strong as ever, we could readily help the rest of the universe with our gift."
"Oh, to spy out a new world!" Said Melissa happily. Melissa, being the Head of Reconnaissance of course she would be excited by such a thing.
"This matter is not open for discussion." Lady Star said, quieting the council with her mere voice. "I will be going on the mission myself."
Well, the council went from silent to everyone yelling the instant she spoke those last words. Loudest and most confused of all the voices was that of Lord Secret.
"Lady, you can't go out into the dangers of the universe! We need you here to lead us!"
"Dangers?" She asked, a hint of humor in her voice. "I am the most powerful Elf in the universe; strongest in the force and in mind and in magic. Who could dare oppose me?" She chuckled slightly.
"Actually," Heír butted in, "according to my trivia there is one-"
"SHUT IT!" Exclaimed Lady Star, quite annoyed with her poor excuse of a Lore Master who wasted his time with pointless trivia instead of teaching useful things to the young elves. "Just as I give not a damn about Durin's Bane, I give not a damn about the rest of your trivia! Dina!" And with that Heír fell silent, angry and embarrassed at once. Of course, emotions of Sindarin Elven Jedi were hardly that strong so it was more like a weak disliking for her comments.
"Well, now that that is settled," Said Lady Star regaining her dignified composure, "Who else shall go with the company? We need six others…"
"You will need a translator when encountering other peoples." Said Callie, leaning forward in her green beanbag chair/throne. "I will send with you my most highly trained and perceptive. Her name is Sarah, my most prized pupil."
"And you will need a member of Reconnaissance to take note of the races and places you see." Said Melissa, sitting regally in her purple beanbag. "Therefore I will send Eve, my most trusted apprentice with you."
"You will need guards!" Lóst brought up. "Perhaps you should bring Holm and Roin with you."
"Agreed." Said Elémental sitting on his white beanbag chair.
"That leaves two." Lord Secret said.
"Might we send a member of lore?" Asked Lylene, the Apprentice Master of Lore who was sitting-in in her master, Heír's place. He was busy playing, "You Don't Know Beren!", An Elven trivia game with the younglings. When Lady Star saw that game show up on the Lore Budget sheet she was furious with him, and had him locked in a room with nothing but the game with a year. Sadly this only made matters worse seeming as how he had then memorized all the answers.
"I will go." Said Rowana, the Master Historian of Lore. "I could not let a historic event such as this go by without taking part in it!"
"Agreed." Said Lady Star smiling. She was glad a close friend of hers was going.
"You will need a member of Protection to go as well." Put it Shat who was polishing his unlit sabre absentmindedly while leaning back in his silver beanbag.
"We already have a member of protection going!" Said Tina, Head of Canon, who was rather peeved that they had forgotten about Canon. "We need a bearer and keeper of Canon to go with you. And I suggest that that person be none other than me."
"Well than it's settled!" Said Lady Star cheerfully. "We have our nine starwalkers to go against the nine clodhoppers."
"Clodhoppers?" Asked Lord Secret, sitting up in his comfortable dark green-grey beanbag chair/throne. He had been snoozing off and missed some things. "Now there's clodhoppers involved in this?" He shook his head wearily and dozed back off.
"According to Heír there will be." Whispered Callie, who was to his right, in his ear before he was completely out of it.
"Well then," Lady star continued, refusing to be interrupted, "since we know who is going, would you all please go and either inform those who you recommended that they must pack, or go pack yourself if you have optioned to go. I myself will be going to pack at this time. Will you join me Lord Secret?" She asked him.
Lord Secret perked up once more, arose, and left in the boat with Lady Star back up the twilight stream, passing the same familiar trees that they always did. The only thing different about this was that this could possibly be the last time that Lady ever went this way. Unless of course she forgot something, and had to go back to her room to get it. In that case in may very well be the second to last time she ever went that way.
The two didn't speak a word as they passed through the falls, or up the path and across the lake. In fact, it wasn't until they were on their way back out, Secret holding Lady Star's enchanted backpack, which could hold an infinite number of items, but would remain feather light when she touched it. Well, she wasn't touching it now so he was working pretty hard heaving the what he called "demon bag of rocks and kitchen sinks" across the lake. Finally, Lady Star, seeing his troubles with her complete wardrobe and favorite kitchen sink, took the bag from him, relieving him of a heavy burden, and forcing her to carry something of a weight equal to that of a feather. Poor Lady indeed!
Finally, once on the other side Lord Secret said the one thing she knew he would say.
"Please Lady Star, don't leave and go and risk getting yourself killed!"
"Secret, we've been over this." She said. "I'm going and that's final!" With that she spun around and walked out of the falls. When she reached the boat she turned and noticed Lord Secret wasn't with her.
What had happened was that when Lady Star spun her bag smacked into Lord Secret. To him the bag was still the "demon bag of rocks and kitchen sinks" so he was knocked two weeks from Tuesday, (Tuesday being Bingo night, a most important night to immortal elves such as they), and he landed in the middle of the lake. Luckily the walkway had subsided under the water so he didn't smash his Elven Jedi brains out on that.
Well, eventually he made his way out and made it to the boat where Lady Star had been waiting patiently. She noticed he was sopping wet and couldn't resist spurting out:
"Have a nice trip? See you next fall!" She chuckled wickedly, much to the annoyance of Lord Secret.
"Hyuck hyuck, hyuck!" He said sarcastically. He climbed into the boat, and they were off. If he hadn't known for a fact that Lady only knocked him in by accident, she would have been swimming back to the Council, Head of it or not.
On her White Beanbag Chair/Throne Lóst, Guardian of the Council, was napping quietly. She had dozed off around game 300 or so. She hadn't expected this little tic-tac-toe tournament to last much longer, but after awaking several hours later and seeing the two still playing she realized she had been wrong.
"Lady Star! Lord Secret! What are you two still doing playing tic-tac- toe at a time like this!"
"Shh! We're trying to concentrate here Lóst!" Lady scolded.
"Yeah!" Added Lord Secret. "This is the tiebreaker game! Whomever wins this is the Master Jedi of Tic-Tac-Toe!"
Lady looked at her options. Secret had five in a row two ways. She could only block one, so in effect he would win either way. Then, she devised an unbeatable plan.
"Lord Secret, if you win this game you get a horrible pay cut." She said calmly and simply.
Now the tide was turned. Lord Secret let those two chances at a win be filled in, and next time he had an option of whether or not to block a win by Lady, he chose not to. Thus Lady Star won the tournament, was named Master Jedi of Tic-Tac-Toe, and Secret was allowed to keep his paycheck.
"Sometimes it pays to be the boss." Lady muttered. And then she turned her attention to a very aggravated Lóst.
"Dear Lóst, what do you need?" She said, completely happy due to her winning of the tournament.
"You two are planning on sending the first Eldar ever outside of Arda in less than three days and you just sitting here playing chess for, what time is it? TWENTY HOURS STRAIGHT! I can't even believe I spelt that long!"
"We slipped you something to calm you down." Lord Secret muttered.
"Anyway!" Lóst said angry at being slipped a drug by her so-called friends. "You should call Council or something with the other Masters and Apprentice Masters. Determine whose going on the first trip to Naboo."
"You mean there's going to be more than two?" Asked Lady Star, eyeing Secret suspiciously. He was known for allowing more people than were welcome to do things.
"Look not at me dearest Lady, for 'twas not I who determined seven others should go. It was our Lore Master Heír."
"That pompous windbag!" Lady Star exclaimed. "I don't give a naff what shade of blonde Legolas was or any of his other useless trivia! Our Archives are swelling with those trashy books he says we need. That's were last millennium's budget went you know!" It was clear that she was quite upset with him for blowing the budget on a million copies of Manwë's Book of Arda's Records.
She cooled down and then reached a conclusion. "Alright. Lóst, please call the Head Council together. Lord Secret and I will be in private council in my chambers until they are assembled. Please come and fetch us at that time.
Lóst rose, bowed, muttered, "Yes milady!" And marched off through the gates to fetch them. For her it was going to be a long trip so she packed a sack of food and water, and with her Running Rollers on her feet she set off skating the first mile down the Main Hall to her first stop.
After Lóst had left, Lady arose and turned to Lord Secret saying, "Come with me." Together they set off to the nearby boat in the stream. They climbed in and with a wave of Secret's hand it shoved off and headed upstream.
They rode in silence and deep thought, with many Tree's passing on either side of them. They two were strangely peaceful in the magical twilight in which the Head Council Chambers was placed. After all, they themselves had woven the enchantments into the hidden halls, as they had recently woven the enchantments into the Portal, which the Company of Nine Starwalkers would soon go through.
They reached the waterfall and with a wave of Lady Star's hand the flow split allowing the boat safe passage beneath the falls and into the little alcove where it was normally kept when Star and Secret were resting in their chambers.
They got out onto the docks and walked down the glowing passage and to the inner lake. As they approached a large natural bridge of stone rose out of the water, creating the only path to the other side, since the cave in which the lake was placed had no shore to walk around on.
They quickly made their way across the stone bridge onto the ledge, which led to the doors of their chambers. Lady, leading the way, took to the right and led Lord Secret into her room. Secret had an idea of where this would soon end up, but didn't lead on that he knew the way into Star's room.
Once inside they could see the view of the sea from the magical Bay Window in Lady Star's room. It was a warm, sunny day, and the wind was blowing in large waves, which crashed profusely against the shore.
"Do you remember when we first met?" Lady Star asked Lord Secret, sitting down on her bed, beckoning him to join her there. She swung he legs onto the bed next to her, half-sitting, half-lying on her side.
"Remember?" He asked, "How could I ever forget?!?! We met back in the twenty-first century of man's new reckoning, on a program of theirs called AIM. Part of their technology." He said chuckling at the memory. Lord Secret wasn't an old elf, neither was Lady Star. They were both only around 2,400 years old, but in those years so much had happened.
"Yes." She said agreeing with him as he sat down on the bed next to her. "That was back in the times when we regarded ourselves humans as well…" The thought troubled her. She missed her family, whom she had long since lost track of. Immortality really wasn't all it was cracked up to be unless you were born of elves. Unfortunately, neither of them were, nor any member of the head council. It had all begun so very long ago really…
By the 21st Century in the reckoning of man, the Elven Race had long since passed out of Arda and into the Blessed Realm. Those that refused to leave eventually faded out of Arda, their bodies being consumed by the fire of their spirits. All that was left in the world of their race were the men who possessed Elven Blood.
Well, according to the technology of biology and use of Punnet Squares, it has been determined the following way. Those men who possessed the blood of elves did not at first marry others with those similar traits. But, after a few thousand years more and more humans with Elven Blood got together and had children. Now, if they were only 1/100 Elven, that meant that they had a chance of either having children with no Elven traits, 1/100 Elven Blood, or 1/50 of the traits.
Now let's just say that a bunch of families had children with 1/50th. What if those children got together and had children who received all Elven Traits from their parents. Then they would be 1/25th. After that the next children would be 1/12.5th Elven. And so on and so forth until they reached about 1/3 to 1/2 Elven characteristics depending on the number of traits received. Now what if those people with 1/2 traits got together? It mean that they had 25% chance of children with no Elven Blood, 50% chance of children with 1/2 Elven Blood, and 25% change of children with all Elven Blood, meaning that the race of Elves was reborn into the world.
Those children with all Elven Blood were the Elven Jedi like Lady Star, Lord Secret, Lóst, Heír, and the other Master Elven Jedi.
Well, these children went through their adolescence at a normal Human rate due to the pollution's and toxins that the race of man had introduced into the diet of its people. Though Elves were immune to most harms this constant bombardment had an effect of rapped maturing on the New Elves of Arda.
So, after being chased out of society by their former families these friends finally decided to act upon their plans for a secretive organization they invented back in their days on AIM. So, they built their Hidden Halls under a mountain in (LOCATION CLASSIFIED) and began discover things like the Jedi Arts and such.
"I said I loved you one day Secret, remember?" Lady continued, her words forming visions as clear as day in the mind of her friend and ally.
Of course he remembered! He may have forgotten the names of different countries over the years but he would never forget something like that!
"I remember." He said quietly, and then fell silent being horribly conscious of where they were, and what the rules were of the Elven Jedi. Finally, he spoke to her at last.
"Lady, we cannot do this, you know that. It is forbidden by the laws of the Elven Jedi Council."
Lord Secret grew very worried when Lady Star started laughing uncontrollably, frequently forgetting to breath. Tears rolled down her cheeks she was laughing so hard.
It wasn't her normal reserved laugh she used around the Council either. It was her laugh she used back in the days of their Human existence, before she was the ruler of all that was left of the Elven Race. Finally, she composed herself enough to be able to speak, and gasped:
"Lord Secret! Ha! Have you forgotten that we are the leaders of the Elven Jedi Council? We can do as we please!" She then quickly, seeming to have realize something, sobered up and said morbidly, "Unless it doesn't please…" Her voice trailed off and she fell to a depressed form of silence.
"It isn't that Lady, you know that. But I do know that we are stuck with each other for a very long time, and I do not want to rush into anything that may hurt my friendship with you for a millennia or so."
"Oh sure!" She exclaimed, "It's only been what, 2,000 years! Who wants to rush!" She then bit her lip, and cried out quite tearfully, "It's just I've been alone so long! So very alone, and it hurts so much!"
"What do you mean alone? I've been here with you the whole time." Lord Secret said.
"Just because you were here doesn't mean I wasn't alone Secret!" She whimpered. "Of course you were near to me, but the whole time you were so very far. At times I feared we were growing apart, but I assured myself it wasn't so; but look at us now. Can't we even have a real conversation together anymore? Like we used to?"
It was then that Secret realized what he had done, and been doing even then. They weren't talking like they used to, no, the most he would do was answer her questions and say no more. What an ass he had been, but what could he do to save them from an awful fate?
As it turned out he didn't have to do anything, for at that moment of realization Lady Star grabbed him and kissed him rather passionately. He returned her kiss, and before anything more could happen between them there came a knocking at the door. It was Lóst. The council was assembled awaiting their presence. Lady Star and Lord Secret composed themselves and followed their trusted friend Lóst out the door and back to the Council Chambers. None of the three said a word…
Well, as it was the Head Council was in session, arguing over whom should be sent on the trip. Meanwhile Raven and Vinyavagor were busy catching up on unknown folklore about companies of nine.
As it turned out, there would most likely be nine opponents fighting against them all the way, and those nine would most likely be more powerful. While Raven spent his time learning everything he could about this, Vinyavagor took a great deal of time trying to sneak more peeks at the book on wet tee-shirt contests. Pitiful was the usual celibacy of the elves… no random sex for them.
Meanwhile, back in the Head Council Chambers…
"No, you can't!" Exclaimed Tina, the Head of Canon, "It goes against Canon for we Elves to travel past the outer sea!"
"But men have done it, why can't we?" Asked Callie, the Head of Negotiations, "We have run out of people to work with here." She said, "Why not travel through the depths of- what did you call it Lord Secret?- oh, right, 'space', and find more beings to interact with?" Seeming as how they didn't really interact with any creatures on Arda, her statement was quite correct.
"We have sat dormant in our Hidden Halls far too long." Agreed Shat, the Head of Protection. "Our Protection forces are as strong as ever, we could readily help the rest of the universe with our gift."
"Oh, to spy out a new world!" Said Melissa happily. Melissa, being the Head of Reconnaissance of course she would be excited by such a thing.
"This matter is not open for discussion." Lady Star said, quieting the council with her mere voice. "I will be going on the mission myself."
Well, the council went from silent to everyone yelling the instant she spoke those last words. Loudest and most confused of all the voices was that of Lord Secret.
"Lady, you can't go out into the dangers of the universe! We need you here to lead us!"
"Dangers?" She asked, a hint of humor in her voice. "I am the most powerful Elf in the universe; strongest in the force and in mind and in magic. Who could dare oppose me?" She chuckled slightly.
"Actually," Heír butted in, "according to my trivia there is one-"
"SHUT IT!" Exclaimed Lady Star, quite annoyed with her poor excuse of a Lore Master who wasted his time with pointless trivia instead of teaching useful things to the young elves. "Just as I give not a damn about Durin's Bane, I give not a damn about the rest of your trivia! Dina!" And with that Heír fell silent, angry and embarrassed at once. Of course, emotions of Sindarin Elven Jedi were hardly that strong so it was more like a weak disliking for her comments.
"Well, now that that is settled," Said Lady Star regaining her dignified composure, "Who else shall go with the company? We need six others…"
"You will need a translator when encountering other peoples." Said Callie, leaning forward in her green beanbag chair/throne. "I will send with you my most highly trained and perceptive. Her name is Sarah, my most prized pupil."
"And you will need a member of Reconnaissance to take note of the races and places you see." Said Melissa, sitting regally in her purple beanbag. "Therefore I will send Eve, my most trusted apprentice with you."
"You will need guards!" Lóst brought up. "Perhaps you should bring Holm and Roin with you."
"Agreed." Said Elémental sitting on his white beanbag chair.
"That leaves two." Lord Secret said.
"Might we send a member of lore?" Asked Lylene, the Apprentice Master of Lore who was sitting-in in her master, Heír's place. He was busy playing, "You Don't Know Beren!", An Elven trivia game with the younglings. When Lady Star saw that game show up on the Lore Budget sheet she was furious with him, and had him locked in a room with nothing but the game with a year. Sadly this only made matters worse seeming as how he had then memorized all the answers.
"I will go." Said Rowana, the Master Historian of Lore. "I could not let a historic event such as this go by without taking part in it!"
"Agreed." Said Lady Star smiling. She was glad a close friend of hers was going.
"You will need a member of Protection to go as well." Put it Shat who was polishing his unlit sabre absentmindedly while leaning back in his silver beanbag.
"We already have a member of protection going!" Said Tina, Head of Canon, who was rather peeved that they had forgotten about Canon. "We need a bearer and keeper of Canon to go with you. And I suggest that that person be none other than me."
"Well than it's settled!" Said Lady Star cheerfully. "We have our nine starwalkers to go against the nine clodhoppers."
"Clodhoppers?" Asked Lord Secret, sitting up in his comfortable dark green-grey beanbag chair/throne. He had been snoozing off and missed some things. "Now there's clodhoppers involved in this?" He shook his head wearily and dozed back off.
"According to Heír there will be." Whispered Callie, who was to his right, in his ear before he was completely out of it.
"Well then," Lady star continued, refusing to be interrupted, "since we know who is going, would you all please go and either inform those who you recommended that they must pack, or go pack yourself if you have optioned to go. I myself will be going to pack at this time. Will you join me Lord Secret?" She asked him.
Lord Secret perked up once more, arose, and left in the boat with Lady Star back up the twilight stream, passing the same familiar trees that they always did. The only thing different about this was that this could possibly be the last time that Lady ever went this way. Unless of course she forgot something, and had to go back to her room to get it. In that case in may very well be the second to last time she ever went that way.
The two didn't speak a word as they passed through the falls, or up the path and across the lake. In fact, it wasn't until they were on their way back out, Secret holding Lady Star's enchanted backpack, which could hold an infinite number of items, but would remain feather light when she touched it. Well, she wasn't touching it now so he was working pretty hard heaving the what he called "demon bag of rocks and kitchen sinks" across the lake. Finally, Lady Star, seeing his troubles with her complete wardrobe and favorite kitchen sink, took the bag from him, relieving him of a heavy burden, and forcing her to carry something of a weight equal to that of a feather. Poor Lady indeed!
Finally, once on the other side Lord Secret said the one thing she knew he would say.
"Please Lady Star, don't leave and go and risk getting yourself killed!"
"Secret, we've been over this." She said. "I'm going and that's final!" With that she spun around and walked out of the falls. When she reached the boat she turned and noticed Lord Secret wasn't with her.
What had happened was that when Lady Star spun her bag smacked into Lord Secret. To him the bag was still the "demon bag of rocks and kitchen sinks" so he was knocked two weeks from Tuesday, (Tuesday being Bingo night, a most important night to immortal elves such as they), and he landed in the middle of the lake. Luckily the walkway had subsided under the water so he didn't smash his Elven Jedi brains out on that.
Well, eventually he made his way out and made it to the boat where Lady Star had been waiting patiently. She noticed he was sopping wet and couldn't resist spurting out:
"Have a nice trip? See you next fall!" She chuckled wickedly, much to the annoyance of Lord Secret.
"Hyuck hyuck, hyuck!" He said sarcastically. He climbed into the boat, and they were off. If he hadn't known for a fact that Lady only knocked him in by accident, she would have been swimming back to the Council, Head of it or not.