Chapter 3

A/N: I'll spare myself the feeling of total failure for missing yesterday and the day before (and the day before, and the day before, and the day before) by blaming my parents for making me do so much damn work. --; Er, someone please remember to nag me about doing this, or I WILL forget. E-mail me! IM me! JUST MAKE ME DO IT! Well, anyway, here's the next chapter!

***

Frodo watched the newcomer curiously, from his viewpoint in a group of elves. She seemed to be quite at home here on the beach, trading laughs with the elves, thoughts with Gandalf, and stories with Bilbo. Frodo didn't quite manage to connect with the girl- but then again, he hadn't had much of a chance to talk to her. Perhaps later, he would be able to get a chance to have a few words with her....
Frodo was distracted from his thoughts by Legolas. He noticed the elf glaring at the girl, holding his bow tightly. It appears that Katie's first move had alienated the elf against her... elven pride, once aroused, was a terrible thing. Katie, unfortunately, also seemed to notice Legolas's anger, and began making her way towards the wounded elf. 'This won't turn out good....' Frodo thought nervously, keeping his distance.
"Excuse me, Legolas...." Katie began. The elf turned to look at her fiercely, murder in his eyes. Katie winced, as if she had just been shouted at, but pushed on. "I, uhm, I was wondering...."
"Yes?" He growled angrily. "What do you want?" He threw the words like insults. Katie bit her lip until she tasted blood, holding back the thousands of responses she wanted to say, ranging from, 'I'm so sorry' to 'Back off, you pointy-eared dickhead!'
"Forget it." Katie mumbled as she turned away, her fists clenched furiously but her face an unreadable mask.
'Well, I certainly called that one,' Frodo thought unhappily, and came up behind the elf. "Legolas, did you have to be so harsh to her? It seemed to me she wanted to make amends...."
"She should have thought about amends far sooner." Legolas snorted, his eyes flashing angrily. He paused, regarding the hobbit before him. "Are you on her side?"
"Er, no, I hardly know her...." Frodo stammered, shocked by Legolas's sudden suspicious attitude.
"Good." Legolas turned away, his face dark. Frodo sighed, and went to join Bilbo and the elves again.
"This is very much like being with those dwarves after giving away that Arkenstone, isn't it?" He muttered. Bilbo smileed at Frodo and nods approvingly.
"A most accurate comparison."

***

Katie listened to Bilbo as he told her about his adventures against Smaug. She barely took notice of him, seething furiously inside and casting dirty looks in Legolas's direction. She had always thought that the elf was one of the most calm and collected people ever- she had practically worshipped him, drawing pictures of him always standing tall and proud. But now, he appeared to be nothing more then a stuck-up brat.
Smiling appreciatively at Bilbo as he finished the story, she slipped off to get a little bit of air. Ever since she had gotten here, she had been talked to by everyone. Almost like being popular, she supposed. She sighed heavily and sat down on the soft sand, watching the endless motion of the waves.
"Tired of the attention, are you?" Katie turned to see Frodo behind her. The hobbit chuckled, and moved to sit beside her.
"Just... taken aback, I suppose." She answered him politely. "It's not every day you run into wizards, elves and hobbits, y'know." She turned back to face the ocean.
"It isn't?" Frodo says, eyes twinkling with amusement. Katie pauses, then laughs.
"For you it may be, but we don't have anything like that here." She giggles. She glances up at the stars. "What's it like, over on your world?" She asks suddenly, struck by a cat's curiousity. Frodo pauses, choosing the right words to describe it.
"It's... a lot like what I've seen here, I suppose. The Hobbits live in one place, the Elves have their trees, and the Humans have their towns. You have to be careful of Orcs and Goblins- there probably aren't quite so many, though, since we've defeated the Dark Lord." Frodo says thoughtfully. "There are places that are endless deadlands, with no one daring to living on them... others that seem like a peace of heaven, taken by some miracle to our homeland." Katie sighs longingly.
"What about your world, Katie? I haven't seen much of it yet." Frodo asks, glancing over at the human.
"We have humans. No other sentient species... although we have lots of animals. Giraffes, elephants, mice, birds.... lion and tigers and bears... oh, and electronics galore... not magic and elves." She casts a sidelong glance at Frodo. "Nothing like you'd have."
Frodo seemed intrigued. "What sort of monsters are electronics?" He asked. Katie hesitated. 'If I tell him about electronics, he'd want to see them... electronics have already ruined our world, I don't want to ruin his.' She fumbled wildly for an excuse.
"I need to go now... if we're gonna get that ship. It'll be light soon, and that will be too late to get it." She says carefully, as if trying to make sure she didn't say anything important. Frodo blinked.
"Why can't you get it while it's light out?" He asks curiously.
"Because... the person that keeps the keys doesn't like the day, and sleeps all through it." Katie says on sudden inspiration. Frodo looks at Katie strangely, then shakes his head and looks out at the vast ocean.
"...what a strange world," He mutters, and Katie shrugs.
"Well, you know, that's life. I'd best get going now!" She stands up and heads off through the bushes, following the road off into the darkness. Frodo paused.
'...I suppose I should follow her... I just hope that we aren't missed....' Frodo thinks, sighing heavily. He pushed himself to his feet and scurried after her.