A/n: Hi, another update from me, as quickly as possible, since you all asked so nicely J . Thanks to all my reviewers, you really made me happy.
Colleen followed Jiphon into the dining hall; an immense pillared room lit by dozens of lamps swinging from the rafters. She saw that these each had many candles in them and wondered briefly how they were lit and blown out each day, then Jiphon had shown her to her seat and she forgot about the lamps in gazing at the food.
There were things she recognized of course- dark bread, and fruit, although she was not certain of what kind. Then there were meats- some sort of fowl- maybe grouse or pheasant? And "What's that?" she whispered to Legolas, who was sitting on her left. He looked where she indicated. "Venison." "Oh, I've never had that before." He nodded. "My people often eat it." She also had a cup, which was empty. "What do you drink?" "Customarily, we drink mead," Legolas replied. Colleen knew that mead was alcoholic of course- made with honey. She had never drunk much alcohol before, aside from polite sips of wine at fancy dinners- and even then she hadn't liked it. She didn't much fancy the idea of getting drunk or throwing up in front of the Elves. "Would your father be offended if I only drank water?" she whispered, glancing up to the head of the table where the Lord of the Elves sat. "No," he answered. "He understands that you are not accustomed to our fare."
Feeling much relieved, Colleen glanced around. Aside from Legolas and Thranduil, she didn't recognize any of the Elves. She spotted Jiphon and Loma sitting at a table nearby, but her table seemed to be reserved for the nobility. 'I shouldn't be sitting here!' she thought, panicked. 'I'm nobody important!' She glanced at the Elf on her right. "What's your name?" she asked timidly. He looked at her gravely. "I am called Imfariel." "Imfariel," she repeated carefully. "Pleased to meet you. I'm Colleen." She held out her hand. The Elf merely looked at it, puzzled. Then she remembered that the Elves probably didn't shake hands. "It's a custom of greeting where I come from," she explained. "We hold out our hands in token of peace, and then clasp them." He did so, looking at her as if for assurance that he was doing it correctly. She smiled at him.
Then Thranduil cleared his throat. The hall was instantly silent. He stood up. "I have something that I must say to you all," he announced. "Today we are honoured to have a guest from a far land, Colleen O'Shea. She will be staying with us for an unknown period of time. She is not familiar with our customs, and therefore I ask you to answer any questions she may have." Then, to Colleen's absolute horror, he motioned for her to stand up. She did so, face flaming, as all the Elves turned to her. After a moment she sat down again, and the meal began.
Colleen ate mostly bread and fruit, but she did try the venison, and liked it. The Elves talked merrily as they ate, mostly about things she didn't understand. She did catch that they had recently slain a small band of Orcs on the edge of their realm. 'Small need to do that,' she thought to herself. 'If they came this far in, they were probably lost, and would've starved soon anyway.' But then, she supposed, Orcs were Orcs, no matter what.
After the meal the dishes were cleared away, and the Elves leaned back in their seats. Colleen thought she knew what was coming, and she was right. The Elves began to sing, sometimes in Quenya, which she didn't understand, but was beautiful nonetheless, sometimes in English. She heard some songs she recognized: parts of the lay of Beren and Lúthien, and the song of Nimrodel. But the songs were more than she ever could have imagined from reading the books.
Then they took out harps and flutes and began to play. Colleen closed her eyes and listened, transported to distant lands by the music. After a while she heard murmuring, and felt someone tap her on the shoulder. It was Legolas and his face was pale. She looked around. The Elven minstrels' hands were quiet upon the harpstrings- yet the music played on, quietly and more beautiful even than before. The Elves were again all looking at her and whispering to one another. She felt terribly awkward, worse than the first time she went on stage for a school play. Then the music stopped, and Legolas beckoned to her. "We must speak with my father," he said, and got up from the table. Colleen rose, and followed him to where Thranduil sat, feeling as though she had just been sent to the principal's office.