The next morning the entire fellowship plus their new elf companion, Laurea
were standing outside in the circle of the garden. They were speaking of
what their journey holds before them and what they must accomplish before
then.
"Laurea!" a female voice called from under the arched bridge between the two buildings. Laurea's head jolted and her eyes widened, Legolas recognized the voice as well.
"Not now," she whispered under her breath.
A female elf with sandy blonde hair and ocean blue eyes ran out of the shadow towards them. She wore a long robin's egg blue dress with long wide sleeves that seemed a little too long for her. Her hair was tied back into a loose ponytail and went down close to her mid-back. She grabbed Laurea around the shoulders and smiled a ear-to-ear smile. They both lost their balance and tripped running into Pippin as they fell to the ground. Pippin, in return, lost his balance as well and fell into the water base of the elvish fountain. Merry and Frodo rushed to help Pippin out of the water and back onto his feet.
"Hey Pip, you got your mornin' bath I see?" Merry joked. Pippin's damp face grew into a grin as he pushed Merry into the fountain as well.
"Pay-back's a bitch ain't it Merry?" Pippin laughed. Laurea and this new elf sat up on the ground and laughed.
"Do you mind Eieru? I was trying to have a conversation?" Laurea asked. Eieru looked at Legolas and studied him from his face to his feet and back to his face.
"I see, I'm sure you were," she smiled slightly to the right.
"Nice to see you again, Eieru," Legolas replied. Laurea and Eieru stood up and stood side by side as Laurea introduced the fellowship to her and her to the fellowship.
"This is Eieru, she is a dear and old friend of mine. She hails from Excalus as well and has been quietly falling in love with," she was cut off by Eieru.
"Well, I think you all know a little more than you want to. So what has brought you all here?" she wondered with a smile.
"We were sent here by Lord Elrond and our business is our own," Frodo announced.
"Alright, alright, I meant no harm, I was just bein' curious," she backed away.
"Aragorn, should we not be leaving before dark?" Gimli questioned.
"Yes, that would be wise. Thank you and your people for your kind hospitality Laurea, but we best be off," Aragorn hinted.
"Aragorn? The Aragorn? Isildor's heir, heir to the throne of Gondor?" Eieru stuttered and went wide-eyed.
"I would prefer that not be mentioned if you do not mind. I shall go by the name Strider if you wish to address me as such for I am just a mere ranger," Aragorn lectured.
"Whoa, yes sir, I mean Strider," she quickly answered.
"Now that we've gone through that. Can we get them some towels and dry clothes?" Sam wondered as he pointed to the socking wet Merry and Pippin.
"Yes, lead them back to their rooms so that they may change, cloths should be hanging from a chair in the corner," Laurea offered. Sam turned around and led the way back into the building to their right with Merry and Pippin following as ducklings follow their mother.
"Now, we must be leaving," Frodo announced.
"What? You're leaving again Laurea? You've just gotten back, I won't let you leave alone, I'm coming with you," Eieru decided.
"Eieru, you can't! Stay here and watch over Excalus," Laurea ordered.
"No, last time you said that you nearly didn't come back!" Eieru pointed out. Laurea winced at the comment and looked in the direction of the mountains to their left.
"Please Eieru, listen to her she only watches out for your safety," Legolas pleaded.
"I want to come. I've never been on a true adventure and I believe that it's about time that I started off on one," she demanded. Aragorn told her of what their objective was and the effects of what might happen if it's not completed.
"It's final then, I am to accompany Laurea as Sam does for Frodo," she announced. Laurea's expression grew serious and emotional, her eyes grew deep and heavy. As soon as Merry, Pippin and Sam came back with their packs, they were off on their journey.
"Laurea!" a female voice called from under the arched bridge between the two buildings. Laurea's head jolted and her eyes widened, Legolas recognized the voice as well.
"Not now," she whispered under her breath.
A female elf with sandy blonde hair and ocean blue eyes ran out of the shadow towards them. She wore a long robin's egg blue dress with long wide sleeves that seemed a little too long for her. Her hair was tied back into a loose ponytail and went down close to her mid-back. She grabbed Laurea around the shoulders and smiled a ear-to-ear smile. They both lost their balance and tripped running into Pippin as they fell to the ground. Pippin, in return, lost his balance as well and fell into the water base of the elvish fountain. Merry and Frodo rushed to help Pippin out of the water and back onto his feet.
"Hey Pip, you got your mornin' bath I see?" Merry joked. Pippin's damp face grew into a grin as he pushed Merry into the fountain as well.
"Pay-back's a bitch ain't it Merry?" Pippin laughed. Laurea and this new elf sat up on the ground and laughed.
"Do you mind Eieru? I was trying to have a conversation?" Laurea asked. Eieru looked at Legolas and studied him from his face to his feet and back to his face.
"I see, I'm sure you were," she smiled slightly to the right.
"Nice to see you again, Eieru," Legolas replied. Laurea and Eieru stood up and stood side by side as Laurea introduced the fellowship to her and her to the fellowship.
"This is Eieru, she is a dear and old friend of mine. She hails from Excalus as well and has been quietly falling in love with," she was cut off by Eieru.
"Well, I think you all know a little more than you want to. So what has brought you all here?" she wondered with a smile.
"We were sent here by Lord Elrond and our business is our own," Frodo announced.
"Alright, alright, I meant no harm, I was just bein' curious," she backed away.
"Aragorn, should we not be leaving before dark?" Gimli questioned.
"Yes, that would be wise. Thank you and your people for your kind hospitality Laurea, but we best be off," Aragorn hinted.
"Aragorn? The Aragorn? Isildor's heir, heir to the throne of Gondor?" Eieru stuttered and went wide-eyed.
"I would prefer that not be mentioned if you do not mind. I shall go by the name Strider if you wish to address me as such for I am just a mere ranger," Aragorn lectured.
"Whoa, yes sir, I mean Strider," she quickly answered.
"Now that we've gone through that. Can we get them some towels and dry clothes?" Sam wondered as he pointed to the socking wet Merry and Pippin.
"Yes, lead them back to their rooms so that they may change, cloths should be hanging from a chair in the corner," Laurea offered. Sam turned around and led the way back into the building to their right with Merry and Pippin following as ducklings follow their mother.
"Now, we must be leaving," Frodo announced.
"What? You're leaving again Laurea? You've just gotten back, I won't let you leave alone, I'm coming with you," Eieru decided.
"Eieru, you can't! Stay here and watch over Excalus," Laurea ordered.
"No, last time you said that you nearly didn't come back!" Eieru pointed out. Laurea winced at the comment and looked in the direction of the mountains to their left.
"Please Eieru, listen to her she only watches out for your safety," Legolas pleaded.
"I want to come. I've never been on a true adventure and I believe that it's about time that I started off on one," she demanded. Aragorn told her of what their objective was and the effects of what might happen if it's not completed.
"It's final then, I am to accompany Laurea as Sam does for Frodo," she announced. Laurea's expression grew serious and emotional, her eyes grew deep and heavy. As soon as Merry, Pippin and Sam came back with their packs, they were off on their journey.